Role Reversal
by Paulina Ann
Summary: *COMPLETE* Response to KAEX Challenge: A Royal Twist - "What if Keith was the surviving Arusian Royal Prince & Allura was an Earth born hometown girl turned GA Starpilot? How will the prim & proper Prince deal w/ falling for a strong-willed GA pilot of no royal line? Can they find their Happy Ever After?" Plot direction taken from DotU but is obviously AU. Large cast DotU regulars.
1. Chapter 1

**Role Reversal**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.I didn't want to own Nanny anyway.

**Beta:** Not on this one. Errors are mine and I'm sure there are a few, so please ignore.

**Rating/Setting: **Rating is T. Setting is DotU but is definitely AU – see challenge info below.

**Response to Cheetoy's KAEX Challenge "A Royal Twist."** "What if Keith was the surviving Arusian Royal Prince and Allura was an Earth born hometown girl turned GA Starpilot? How will the prim and proper Prince deal with falling for a strong-willed GA pilot of no royal line? Sadly, Nanny and Coran insist on a Princess for our dear Kogane... But how shall they deal with the Drule Prince(ss)? Can they find their Happy Ever After?"

**Author's Notes:** I am known to the KAEX twitter group to be a "plotter." I have never published a story where I didn't have the whole thing already written. I have read too many stories on FFN that I have loved only to find that it wasn't finished. *sighs and sniffs* However, this story will probably be on-going but you will find very familiar threads to DotU. Some things are alike, and obviously from the 'twist,' some things are very different. Anyway, I hope you enjoy my take on the challenge. And with this story being a 'long' one, don't expect multiple submissions for this. : -) Anyway, I just wanted to get the challenge started… I already have 7 chapters, but don't expect them as fast as my other posts! Thanks for reading!

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><p><strong>Chapter One<strong>

Keith Kogane, Crown Prince of Arus, looked with frustration at the communications console that was hidden in the caverns underneath the partially destroyed Castle of Lions. "I don't understand why the Galaxy Alliance hasn't contacted us. It's been weeks."

Coran looked at Keith with understanding but his thoughts were tempered with the realities of intergalactic politics. "My Prince, you know our system can only pick up transmissions from inside our solar system. We were lucky that Tyrian trader was willing to let us piggy-back a transmission through his com system to the Alliance. I'm sure that the Alliance is trying to figure out the best way to assist us."

"Right. Like they assisted us over the last eight years since Doom attacked us."

Coran sighed deeply as he watched the angry young man stride from the room. Keith had a lot to be angry about. If only Alfor and Eleanor hadn't been murdered things would have been different. Alfor had been a gifted leader and strategist and Eleanor his equal in diplomacy. Coran thought back to the events that led to Keith being the sole survivor of the monarchy at the castle.

Voltron had been separated into the five mecha Lions during the reign of Queen Arianna, Alfor's mother. The Queen and the people of Voltron had hidden the Lions and the keys that controlled them. Thankfully, Zarkon and Haggar had not seemed to care that the Lions existed. As long as they were unassembled, they posed no threat. Queen Arianna had passed the knowledge of the keys and Lions to King Alfor who constructed the docking platforms for the Lions. The Lions had been transported to their respective locations as everyone feared that using the Lions would bring the wrath of Doom to their planet.

During his reign, King Alfor had fought the Drules with conventional weapons and fleets of starships. However, it wasn't enough to keep Zarkon from raiding the planet for slaves. It was eight years ago that King Alfor had decided that enough was enough. It was time to use Voltron. However, there were spies in the castle and word was sent to Zarkon. The castle and surrounding area were attacked laying waste to the countryside. Alfor and Eleanor were heading to an escape ship when they were captured by the castle spies. The only reason Keith wasn't captured was due to his rebelliousness. As a young boy of twelve who was to turn thirteen in just a few months, he was asserting himself. Ordered to attend to his royal studies, he had instead gone horseback riding. Local villagers took him into hiding in the caves of the nearby mountains when they fled their homes. It was only after the battle that Keith had managed to sneak away from the caves to return to the castle.

Nothing prepared the boy to see his parents laid out on metal tables, pale and lifeless. Zarkon had personally killed both the king and queen with a sword and watched them bleed out before leaving the castle. Coran knew this because he had been hiding in the castle, nursing a serious leg wound himself. There had been nothing he could do to help the king and queen. But Coran had vowed to the lifeless bodies of his monarchs that he would find the young prince and safeguard him until a time came that Voltron could rise again and free Arus.

Coran had been more of a 'man-at-arms' than a diplomat at that time. But the needs of the people and those of the young prince had caused him to hone his skills of diplomacy. At times, his fiery temper still got the best of him but he was much more controlled than he had been in his younger days. He smiled thinking about it and how Keith would probably not believe some of the exploits he had gotten into. Although he had personally trained Keith in hand-to-hand as well as with the sword and blaster, Keith saw him as an older man who was staid and proper. Perhaps it was best leaving the young hot-head to think that way.

Looking back at the console, Coran wished a signal would come. It wouldn't be long before Keith would want to take one of the Lions out on his own. The boy – young man, Coran corrected himself – knew the location of the Lion keys and the tubes that led to them. In fact, the prince had spent time just sitting in each of the Lions. At first, Coran thought it was unhealthy and might lead Keith into taking one of the big cats out for a spin – something that could get him killed or captured. However, as Keith spent time in the Lions, he became more confident and less impetuous. The prince had said that he 'felt' as if the Lions were speaking to him. Remembering that King Alfor had said that Voltron was created from ancient magic, who was he to say that some of that magic didn't still linger. And if it did indeed linger, could it be speaking to Keith?

As Coran turned to leave the chamber a quiet chime sounded from the console. Rushing to the station, Coran entered the sequence to activate the communications array in orbit. "This is the Castle of Lions, come in please."

"Castle of Lions, this is Commander Sven Holgersson of the Galaxy Alliance. Our ship has been damaged and we need to land."

"I'm sending you coordinates now, Commander. I'm sorry, but we have no way to assist your landing."

Sounds of sparks and muttered curses came over the com as the Commander responded. "We'll make do. We're used to that."

Coran moved to the station that housed monitors from the few remaining cameras outside the castle. He turned them all to the direction he expected the ship to come from. What he saw amazed him as the giant stone statue at the end of Lake Bridge sent out some kind of tractor beam to guide the ship into a clearing.

"They're finally here."

The voice had come from behind Coran and he spun to see who had entered the chamber. His eyes opened wide as he beheld the translucent form of King Alfor. "Your Majesty!"

Raising a hand, the king said, "I am only an apparition with no substance. I am here to help my son in the trials he will soon face to free Arus."

Moving to the com system, Coran said, "Let me call for him now!"

"No, my friend, it is not yet time."

Coran turned from the computer to look at his old friend. "I… I don't understand. You said-"

"I said I was here to help Keith. However, it is not yet time for me to make my presence known to him."

"Then why are you here now?"

A slight smile came to the king's lips. "I needed to let you know that you can trust these young pilots from the Alliance. They have the best interests of Arus in their hearts."

Coran nodded and asked, "Are you saying-"

"Yes, Coran. It's time for Voltron to return." King Alfor faded into the ether.

Coran took a few stumbling steps forward and stretched out his hand. "Wait! I have questions!"

But Alfor was gone.

The diplomat hung his head. He couldn't tell Keith; obviously the king didn't want him to know yet. Turning his eyes to the cameras, he saw that the Alliance soldiers were exiting the shuttle. This was something he could share and he headed quickly from the room.

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Commander Sven Holgersson cursed under his breath as he toggled switches on the shuttle flight console. He glanced over to his co-pilot and saw that Lieutenant Lance McClain was looking equally concerned.

Lance muttered, "The Garrison said this planet was backwater, but they can't help us land?" He looked over to Sven before continuing his efforts to keep the shuttle on track. "How is Voltron supposed to even be on a planet like this? If they can't even help us land, how are supposed to have something as high-tech as Voltron?"

From the seat behind Lance came the voice of the only female pilot on the team. "Give it chance, Lance. You saw the film and read the reports about how this planet was devastated by Doom eight years ago. I'm impressed that they're still around."

"Yeah, Lance." Hunk spoke up. "We're not here to appraise their military. We're here to resurrect Voltron and use him to defeat Doom."

"I get ya, but-" Lance began to say but then stopped as a tractor beam locked onto them and began guiding their shaky descent to the planet surface. "What the heck? I didn't think they had this kind of technology?"

Sven pulled back on the steering yoke and gritted out, "I don't care where it came from, I'm just glad that it's working."

Moments later they had landed and were standing at the shuttle door looking out into the nearby forest. "Well, I'm not surprised that no one is here to meet us. Let's head toward the castle and see if we can get some answers there." Looking at his team, they all agreed. Pidge had been the quietest, but he hadn't voiced any negative comments and Sven took that as a positive. Once everyone was armed with a blaster, they disembarked the shuttle and headed toward the heavily damaged stone castle.

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"What do you mean? The Alliance contacted you? Why didn't you call me back?" Keith asked all this as he ran from the caverns beneath the castle toward the main entryway to the Castle of Lions.

"But Prince, there wasn't time. It wasn't a casual communication. Their shuttle is damaged and they needed to land. However, I came to get you immediately after I spoke to them." Coran hesitated to speak as he and Keith came to a stop just inside the castle near the entryway. There just wasn't a good way to say that the Galaxy pilots were trustworthy without revealing that King Alfor had shown himself. No, he needed to wait.

Muttering under his breath, Keith said, "Where are they?"

Suddenly, a creak sounded from the heavy metal doors still in place after the Drule attack. They functioned, but there were no longer the well-oiled system that they were years before. Lack of maintenance and rust had taken their toll. But then, when you didn't have a lot of security, a creaking heavy door wasn't such a bad thing.

Voices floated up to the advisor and the prince.

"I hope all the doors around here aren't like that." Hunk said wryly. "I like to work out, but man, that door was heavy."

"Yeah, well, we're just happy to have you with us big guy." Allura smiled at him. Then she turned her attention to the castle around her. "While she was military and could hold her own with the guys, she was still a girl at heart who had dreamed of being a Princess one day. Her hopes of finding Prince Charming had long since gone the way of most childish dreams after a number of men broke her heart. She wouldn't describe herself as cynical, but more like deliberate in her evaluation of men and relationships. This castle though, brought back memories and dreams that she had thought were gone. After all, she was twenty-two and a fascination of castles and fairy tales should be in her past.

"Hello!"

The Alliance team looked up to the stairway just inside the entry chamber. The stone stairway was massive in scope and though some parts had fallen away due to the attack years ago, it still maintained its majesty. Two men stood at the top. One older man and one younger with the younger man being around the age of most of the Alliance team.

"Are you the man we spoke to earlier on the com system?" Sven called out as he stepped closer to the stairs.

"I am, Commander Holgersson. My name is Coran and-" He stopped speaking as Keith grabbed his arm to stop him from descending further.

Keith's voice was low and his eyes remained focused on the five people below. "Coran, are you sure about this? Can we trust them?"

Taking a moment to gather his thoughts, he said, "Yes. I believe we can trust them. I can't explain why to you right now. But if you have ever believed in me and in my decisions, you will trust me now." His eyes were clear and conveyed the confidence he felt in his words.

Keith looked away from the off-worlders below. Studying the man who had been his mentor, his trainer, his friend, and (dare he say it?) his father for the last eight years, Keith dropped his arm and nodded.

Coran looked back to the team below and saw them evaluating the exchange that had just occurred. _I pray you are right old friend_, he thought as he continued down the steps with Keith right behind him. "As I was saying, I am Coran. You can call me a royal advisor or diplomat if you like." Reaching the bottom of the steps he looked over the team.

"Royal advisor?" Sven's tone was puzzled. "We were told and read that the royal house of Kogane was wiped out eight years ago and only a smattering of governing officials survived the attack."

From the corner of his eye, Coran could see Keith's hands clench into fists at the blunt statement regarding the death of his parents. When Keith didn't lash out, Coran was surprised. It seemed that the young prince was maturing more quickly than he thought. However, he didn't want the situation to dissolve by further comments from the commander. "Most of the royal court was indeed murdered by the Drules and King Zarkon in that battle. However, Prince Keith Kogane was away from the castle at the time. We didn't want Doom to return as our defenses were blown away, so we have kept a low profile since that day." Stepping to the side, Coran said, "This is the Crown Prince of Arus, Keith Kogane."

All eyes of the team turned to look at the young man before them. "If I may ask, how old are you, Prince Keith?" Sven asked.

"You may ask. I'm twenty. If can ask the same of you?" Keith inquired with curiosity. He had noticed that they were not much older than he was.

"I'm twenty-three." Then he gestured to each pilot as he introduced them. "This is my second in command, Lieutenant Lance McClain, who is twenty-two. This is Lieutenant Allura Altaire, twenty-two; Sergeant Hunk Garrett, twenty-five; and Sergeant Pidge Stoker, fourteen."

Inclining his head, Keith said, "Thank you for the introductions. If you would like to come with us to a less exposed chamber, we can talk about your mission and the needs of Arus." Seeing the commander give an affirmative nod, Keith turned to Coran. "Coran, if you will, please lead the way."

Coran could barely keep his jaw from dropping open. He had seen glimpses of Alfor's diplomacy and skill from Keith before, but never in such a situation as this. What was the Prince up to? Or did he truly trust Coran's judgment in this? He would have to wait to find out his answers as he heard Keith answering questions about the castle's structural integrity and defenses. Perhaps both he and Keith would find the answers they needed when they questioned the Alliance pilots. He prayed that they were the deliverance that Arus needed. Arus _and_ Keith both.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.I didn't want to own Nanny anyway.

**Rating/Setting: **Rating is T. Setting is DotU but is definitely AU – see challenge info below.

**Response to Cheetoy's KAEX Challenge "A Royal Twist."** "What if Keith was the surviving Arusian Royal Prince and Allura was an Earth born hometown girl turned GA Starpilot? How will the prim and proper Prince deal with falling for a strong-willed GA pilot of no royal line? Sadly, Nanny and Coran insist on a Princess for our dear Kogane... But how shall they deal with the Drule Prince(ss)? Can they find their Happy Ever After?"

**Author's Notes:** Thanks for reading! I wanted to go ahead and post this chapter because it gives you a better feel for how the story might go. You'll see that there is a lot continuity with characters' personalities, but as I said before, you'll fine some slight variants. Hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

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><p><strong>Chapter Two<strong>

As the group followed Coran, Allura looked ahead to the back of the prince as he walked beside Sven. He and Sven were of the same height and build putting the prince at least six feet tall. They hadn't been told to expect a prince. This allowed her to put her fascination with him on the fact that it was a surprise and for heaven's sake, he was a real, live, prince! His black hair and eyes of almost the same color were incredible. She shook her head as she heard her friend, Lance, whisper to her.

"You know, two years isn't a big deal."

She didn't even bother to look at him as she responded. "What are you talking about? What two years?"

"You're twenty-two, he's twenty. Not a big deal." He smirked as she stiffened. He had seen her eyes light up when she saw the guy and then to add to things, he was a prince of all things. Sheez. Some guys had all the luck.

Allura gritted her teeth and counted to ten. "Don't be ridiculous, McClain," she said under her breath. "We're here on a mission."

Chuckling softly, he responded, "No reason you can't have a little fun. I mean, seriously, I thought I saw sparkles or some such crap when Coran introduced the guy. So why can't you have a little fairy tale of your own… that is, unless the guy ends up being a total silver-spooned jerk."

The young woman's head snapped to the side after he spoke about the sparkles. She thought she had imagined it as it had happened so quickly but Lance had seen it as well. What the hell did that mean? Hearing the rest of his comments, she said, "Drop it, Lance. I'm just sorry there wasn't a pretty princess to shoot down your hopes of being a prince."

"It's a big universe, I'm sure I can find one somewhere."

Conversation ended as they entered an underground chamber. A table and chairs were set up in the room and electric wall sconces lit the room. However, there wasn't anything else to be seen in the room. It was functional and nothing more.

Once everyone was seated, Coran began. "Commander, can you tell us what your mission is? Have you been sent as an advance force to help Arus?"

Sven squirmed uncomfortably in the hard-backed chair. "Our mission is to resurrect Voltron and use him to free Arus by defeating Doom. We understand that there are five mechas that make up Voltron, so that is why five pilots were sent."

Coran glanced to Keith and noticed that the prince was staring at his hands. "But are you a scouting force? Will they be sending help to defend and rebuild Arus?"

"I'm afraid that a fleet and machinery to rebuild is not yet in the works. The Alliance is hoping that Voltron will be enough to stabilize the region. Once that occurs, it will be safe enough to send engineers and equipment to help rebuild."

For the first time, Keith spoke. "What are your plans for Voltron?" The young prince looked the dark-haired pilot in the eye.

It was uncomfortable, but Sven held his gaze. "We're supposed to find the lions and find the process to combine them into Voltron. Once that occurs, we're supposed to fly to Doom and take out as much of the Drule forces as possible."

"But-" Coran began but was silenced by the Arusian prince raising his hand.

"And after you take out the Drule forces, then what?" Keith's gaze held that of Holgersson's. It was the pilot who looked away first.

"Once we have done what we can on Doom, we are to proceed to a rendezvous with the seventh fleet at the Darma system."

Keith nodded while Coran sat in shock. Finally, the advisor could contain himself no longer. "I'm afraid that is unacceptable. Voltron can be used offensively, but King Alfor meant to use him to defend Arus from attacks. And to even think of removing him completely from our solar system is anathema!" The advisor's temper and voice had gradually increased and the fiery temper that he had so long kept under wraps was now on display.

"But we'll make sure that the Drules don't come back here. We'll take out their fleet before we go." Lance thought he was being helpful when he added this.

Quietly, Keith asked, "Do you think that the Drules won't know where you obtained Voltron? Do you think that they won't use the first opportunity they have to raze the planet to the ground? Now, just when our people are starting to rebuild and the land is once again yielding adequate amounts of food, you want to bring the wrath of Zarkon to us? You plan to leave us defenseless?"

Speaking again and placing a hand out toward Lance to keep him from responding, Sven said, "I'm sure that if Doom makes a move in this direction, the Alliance will send a fleet."

Keith crossed his arms and leaned back. "I'm afraid your assurances don't mean much to my people, Commander. The Alliance could have contacted us long ago, but didn't. Now that they know we are still here and might be able to assist in locating Voltron, they want to talk to us. They don't want to provide any immediate help but ask us to help them. Do you not find that a tad bit… absurd?"

Sven wanted to tug at the collar of his uniform but didn't. The Prince was exactly right but he couldn't say that. He had a mission to fulfill. The team had been told to find Voltron and bring it back even if the Arusians wouldn't help.

"I'm sorry that we aren't able to provide more help at this time." Sven finally said.

"Pidge and I will be happy to look at the mechanical and computer components of the castle. It's part of what we do besides piloting. I'm sure we'd be able to help." Hunk offered as he hated the discord that currently filled the room.

"Yeah," Pidge agreed. "We'd be happy to help with those things."

Turning his dark gaze to the large man and the teenager, Keith said, "Any help you can provide will be appreciated. However, I'm sure you can tell from our walk here that the castle is far from up to date with technology. I have had limited exposure to electronics and news from off-world during the last eight years. What I have seen and read about indicates that you will be able to do very little to assist in that way unless the Alliance provides us with updated equipment and the means to rebuild that infrastructure."

"Well… I… To be sure…." Pidge sputtered. The Prince was correct. What they could offer would be like offering a crumb to a starving man. The teenager was saved from speaking further by Allura.

"You're right, Prince Keith. However, we're just pilots and we have only been authorized to locate and resurrect Voltron." Allura's voice was calm and cut through some of the tension in the room.

"Then I suggest you return to your shuttle and contact the Alliance. If you expect to borrow Voltron, you'll have to offer us more than this. And I do mean borrow. After any attack that we agree to, Voltron will be returned to Arus."

Sven's face darkened but he nodded. "Coran and I will see you out. Our people will have camouflaged your shuttle, but it won't be enough to hide it from a detailed Drule scan. Since your ship was damaged, I'm sure that you had a run-in with some Doomites. They'll come looking for you. By that time, you'll either have left or have for us the assistance we require from the Alliance."

"I'll be sure to let the Alliance know of your terms." Sven said as they walked out of the chamber. "But what assurance can you offer us that Voltron does exist and that it does work?"

"I can only offer you my word, and this." Reaching into his jacket pocket, Keith pulled out the key to Black Lion. "This is a key to the Black Lion. You have only my word that it is true, but it is nevertheless." The Prince of Arus stood there as the five Alliance pilots gathered around him and Coran watched with interest. Keith watched the pilot's faces closely. Coran wanted him to trust them. _What reason does he have? Why does he trust them?_ As he looked at the faces, he saw only genuine interest and fascination. There wasn't a one that looked skeptical. They were willing to believe and at least in this one thing, they were willing to trust him. That was important if the plan that he was formulating was to succeed.

Sven looked up from the key to the prince. "It is enough. We'll be back in touch once the Alliance responds."

Keith put the key away and led the group the rest of the way in silence. At the huge metal engraved doors, Keith stopped. "We'll be waiting to hear from you."

Sven only nodded as he led his team outside and watched as Keith shut the doors behind them.

Allura moved to a spot behind Sven. "You can't blame him can you?" Her voice held nothing but understanding.

Still looking at the doors, the commander responded, "No, I can't. I only hope that the Alliance will be reasonable about this." Turning his head from the doors to the bridge across the lake, he looked up at the stone statue. The tractor beam had come from there. The advisor had said they didn't have anything to aid them, yet the tractor beam had been real. Shaking his head in confusion, he said, "Let's go."

Keith and Coran watched from a side window as the quintet made their way across the bridge. Turning to look at his mentor, Keith sheepishly asked, "What?"

"I am surprised, but pleased at your diplomatic skills, Prince Keith. I didn't expect you to be so, so-"

"Mature?" Keith asked with a smile.

This time, Coran gave him a beaming smile. "If you say so, your Majesty."

"They're gone. Stop calling me that." Keith waved a hand in the air. Often when it was just the two of them, Keith made Coran drop all the formal titles, but the advisor was a stickler most of the time in the presence of others. "And yes, I really have been paying attention to your lessons on deportment and diplomacy." Giving one last glance out the window, Keith asked, "So how did I do?"

"Both of your parents would have been proud. I was proud. Everything you said was appropriate. We cannot allow them to remove Voltron from Arus on a long-term basis." He saw Keith nod and then asked, "But you basically agreed that you would allow them to use Voltron. What's to stop them from taking him back to the Alliance once they have the keys? Coran grew nervous as a huge smile broke across the monarch's face. He knew that smile….

Slapping Coran on the back, Keith nonchalantly replied, "I'll stop them because I'll be flying Black Lion." Keith walked away but the smile was still on his face as he reached his hand in his pocket and felt the key. It was hard to refrain from turning to see Coran's face, but he could just imagine the look of shock on the advisor's face. The fact that he hadn't heard a thump was a good sign. At least Coran didn't faint, Keith thought with a smile.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.I didn't want to own Nanny anyway.

**Rating/Setting: **Rating is T. Setting is DotU but is definitely AU – see challenge info below.

**Response to Cheetoy's KAEX Challenge "A Royal Twist."** "What if Keith was the surviving Arusian Royal Prince and Allura was an Earth born hometown girl turned GA Starpilot? How will the prim and proper Prince deal with falling for a strong-willed GA pilot of no royal line? Sadly, Nanny and Coran insist on a Princess for our dear Kogane... But how shall they deal with the Drule Prince(ss)? Can they find their Happy Ever After?"

**Author's Notes:** Thanks for reading! Since I'm off for the MLK holiday, and have more time to write, I thought I'd post another chapter. : - D You'll see part of the variant here. Hope it works for you like it did for me!

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><p><strong>Chapter Three<strong>

Coran watched Keith walk away from him. Keith would be flying Black Lion? What was the Prince thinking? How did he think he could do that? He didn't even know how to fly! Realizing that he was standing there by himself with his mouth slightly open, he hurried from the room. Seeing the prince turn a corner, he called after him, "Wait, Keith!"

Keith was still smiling as Coran caught up to him and grabbed his arm, stopping him in the empty stone corridor. "Yes, Coran?" Keith asked innocently.

Dropping his hand so that he could cross his arms over his chest, Coran frowned at his charge. "What did you mean, Your Majesty? You can't fly Black Lion."

Winking at Coran, Keith said, "Oh, but I can."

Pointing back in the direction of the entryway, Coran said, "Black Lion has been encased in stone since he was placed on the pedestal. There is no way that you could have flown him." Dropping his hand to his side, Coran said in a calmer tone, "What game are you playing, Keith?"

Seeing that Coran was genuinely concerned and confused, Keith relented. "You know that I go and sit in the Lions. I've told you that they speak to me." He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know if they did this in the past or not, but they do it with me. I understand how they work."

Coran looked with wonder at the prince and asked, "How do they work?"

Keith took Coran's arm and walked with him down the corridor towards the underground living spaces. "The keys power up the Lions and activate their systems. I guess you could say that the keys are like an 'on switch' of sorts. And while the Lions have little control with the switch off, they have a lot of control with the switch on." Keith scratched his head. It was difficult to explain the knowledge the Lions gave him. They spoke to his mind and gave him images and visions. Putting that into words wasn't easy. "I guess you could say that the Lion and the pilot work together. The Lions can't fly by themselves, but they can make slight modifications to actions – like turns or speed. They tell me they will only do such things if there is danger or if they do not like their pilot."

"The Lions have feelings?" Coran asked with some shock.

"In a way, but they are like self-sufficient entities. They can communicate with each other at their current distance and though they have been stationary for a long time, it has not bothered them." Keith smiled, "But they have told me they look forward to stretching their legs."

Coran looked at Keith with disbelief. The prince had been having these 'conversations' for some time and yet had told him nothing. "Why didn't you tell me about this sooner?"

"I didn't see a need to and in reality, I wasn't sure you'd believe me. Fear that you'd forbid me to visit the mechas again was another reason."

Coran couldn't refute that. He might have done that very thing. "Granted, you had your reasons. No harm was done. But why do you think you can fly Black Lion with no training?"

Keith's face became serious. "The Black Lion is the one that has primary control over Voltron. I have spent the most time with Black and he has told me that one day I would be his pilot. I laughed when he sent that message to my mind. Before I could even think something back to him, my mind was flooded with images and visions of how to fly the Lion. It was like a download of information. Somehow, the Lion sent the knowledge I'd need to my mind. I think I blacked out for an hour or so. When I came to, Black told me that the time for me to fly was not far away." Keith looked into Coran's eyes. "That time is now, with these pilots. I _can_ fly Black Lion and I _will_ do it, Coran. This is what I was meant to do."

Looking into the serious dark eyes of the prince, Coran knew he was right. He was afraid for the prince, but he knew that the Lions wouldn't have given him the knowledge if he wasn't meant to fly. Coran also thought that King Alfor knew this would happen. Perhaps this was part of the reason he had returned. "But Keith, there are five Alliance pilots and only five mechas. One of them won't be able to fly."

Shrugging, Keith said, "That will be Commander Holgersson's problem, not mine. I will fly that Lion or the Lions won't fly at all." Looking down the corridor, the prince said, "I'm going to see Black. I need to find out if he knows about the pilots arriving."

Coran watched the young man walk away. Who would fly the Lions might be the Commander's problem, but he had a feeling that it would also become Keith's problem as well. It was certain that none of the Alliance pilots would want to give up a spot flying a giant mecha to some untrained prince. Yes, Keith was too young in this regard. The problem would indeed be his. Hopefully Keith would be as diplomatic about flying the Lions as he was in talking with the team today. He hoped so, but it was too much to ask of a twenty year old that had no experience to compare this to.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A few hours later, Sven got off the communication system. Having just finished a lengthy conversation with Admiral Graham he rubbed the bridge of his nose. Without opening his eyes, he asked his second, "What do you think, Lance?"

"It was almost too easy, Sven. It was almost like the Admiral expected this call. If they were willing to second the seventh fleet to the neighboring system AND supply machinery and workers after an attack on Doom, why didn't they just send us with that plan to start with? I mean, as much as the attitude of the prince grated on my nerves, he was right. Our taking Voltron would be a slap in Zarkon's face and the Arusians would bear the brunt with nothing to really protect themselves with."

"Well, I'm hoping there's no underlying agenda. These people need help. Hell, they needed it eight years ago. I'm just sorry that it took this long to get it here and that we're asking them for something instead of just helping them." Sven looked over to Lance. "Right now, I'm not really feeling like one of the good guys."

"Maybe when you relay the news to the Prince and his advisor, you'll feel better."

"Perhaps." Standing, Sven said, "Get some sleep. We'll contact the castle tomorrow about meeting again."

"Nah, I'll take first watch, you get some sleep."

Looking out the windscreen, nothing was moving in the evening light. "Sure. Wake me for the next shift." With that he left Lance in the cockpit.

Lance did a quick sensor sweep and finding nothing, settled back in his seat to think on the events of the day. This mission was definitely all it was billed to be and more.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Keith sat in Black's dimly lit cockpit. The trip through the tubes was a little bit of a hike, but nothing like going out to Yellow or Red. The tubes and the whole complex underground that went to the Lions was a bit of a mystery. There was some kind of track system that went into the tubes but not cars or vehicles to ride in and the tracks began at a solid metal wall. It was almost like there should be a door there… or like the wall wasn't supposed to be there at all. Keith knew that his father and mother had been partly responsible for the building of the underground complex. He just wished they had had a chance to explain it to him before… before… tears stung his eyes. Tears that he thought he was past. A hum sounded in the cockpit that brought him out of his melancholy musings. Reaching a hand out to the console he said, "What is it?"

Then the baritone voice of the Black Lion came to him. _It is time. We have chosen._

"I don't understand. Chosen what? What time is it?"

_Soon. Soon we will fly again. You must be ready for the consequences._

"You mean Zarkon's response?"

_Yes. The response of Doom. The response of the Alliance. The response of your people. The response of… your heart._

Keith frowned in the dim light. "Can you see the future? Do you know what the responses are?"

_Our vision is not far. We did not know of the pilots until just before they arrived. Our warning is more that of our time spent across a millennia. While we have not felt as you feel, we know about relationships._

This wasn't getting any clearer for Keith. He decided to go back to something Black said that he might be able to understand. "What did you mean that you have chosen?"

We have chosen our pilots. It is up to you to make our wishes known.

Keith was speechless. Not that long ago he had told Coran that the decision of who would fly what Lion would be Holgersson's problem. Now Black was telling him that he would have to relay the decision. "Um, does it really matter?" The Lion shook a little and Keith lifted his hands. "Okay, okay, so it matters." Leaning back and letting out a sigh, he thought, _let it be the teenager or the girl, they'll handle it better_. _Has Black changed his mind about me now that he has trained pilots available?_ With some trepidation, he asked, "So who have you chosen?"

_My choice stands. You shall be my pilot. _

Keith breathed a sigh of relief as the Lion continued.

_Red has chosen Holgersson. Green has chosen Stoker. Blue has chosen Altaire and Yellow has chosen Garrett._

"No one wanted McClain?" Keith dreaded that the Lieutenant wasn't selected. The looks and comments of the pilot had indicated that he wasn't the most laid back of the group.

_Red was undecided about Hogersson or McClain. There is a shimmering aura around them as if they were in flux._

The frown returned to Keith's face. Aura? Flux? He shook his head. Could the Lion see him? "I'll relay your message. Do we have a timeframe for when we can fly?"

_No. That will be up to you and your team._

Keith thought of the words the Lion uttered. 'Your team.' 'You and your team.' He doubted that Commander Holgersson would see it that way. However, if the Black Lion wanted to think of them that way, he wouldn't try to convince him otherwise. "Thank you," he said softly.

_For what?_

"For keeping me even when you could have a trained pilot." It was almost as if Keith could feel the Lion smile. Was that even possible?

_There is no one else I want besides you, Keith, son of Alfor. Don't discount the knowledge I gave you or your own innate instincts. This is what you were meant to do. This is who you were meant to be._

Keith smiled to himself. At least Black was confident in his abilities. Coran wasn't and he knew that the Alliance wouldn't be either. "Thanks for your confidence, Black." A slight vibration went through the Lion and Keith knew the conversation was at an end for the day. Standing up and picking up his lantern, he began to make his way back to the castle.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.I didn't want to own Nanny anyway.

**Rating/Setting: **Rating is T. Setting is DotU but is definitely AU – see challenge info below.

**Response to Cheetoy's KAEX Challenge "A Royal Twist."** "What if Keith was the surviving Arusian Royal Prince and Allura was an Earth born hometown girl turned GA Starpilot? How will the prim and proper Prince deal with falling for a strong-willed GA pilot of no royal line? Sadly, Nanny and Coran insist on a Princess for our dear Kogane... But how shall they deal with the Drule Prince(ss)? Can they find their Happy Ever After?"

**Author's Notes:** Thanks for reading! Ah, some tension enters the story...

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Four<strong>

"Hell no! No freaking way!" Lance McClain was standing and shouting. Stabbing his finger in the air in Prince Keith's direction, he said, "No way is some untrained prince better suited to fly one of those machines than I am! Really, Sven! He's even saying that you can't fly the lead Lion! We're the professionals here."

Keith had had it. "Then act like it," he said as he stood up. The impatience that Coran often accused him of in the past couldn't be held any longer under the cover of diplomacy.

Sven stood and reached to put a restraining hand on Lance but Lance shrugged him off. "You say you want fleet help. We get it for you. You say you want materials and builders. We get that for you. And NOW you say that YOU want to fly the main Lion mecha and I don't get to fly at all." Then suddenly words flew out of his mouth that were inappropriate in the extreme. "Just who died and made you king?!"

Silence dropped like a wet blanket across all of them. The group watched the Arusian Prince closely. None of them would blame him for sending out of the castle with their tails between their legs after that.

A quiet voice edged with steel spoke to them all but the Arusian prince looked McClain in the eye. "King Alfor the Fair and his wife Queen Eleanor died, but I'm just a prince for now. When I turn twenty-five I'll be crowned king… if I'm still alive. You see, if Zarkon thinks I'm trying to return Arus to its former state, he'll track me down and slit my throat just as he did my parents." Then Keith leaned on the table with his hands while he stood. "My parents and world were destroyed by Zarkon's hand and the Alliance watched and did nothing. Voltron is _ours_, one of the few things we have left. So if you don't like our terms, then you can just take your ass and return to the Alliance. If the only reason you're here is to fly Lions and bring back Voltron, then go." All the steam seemed to leave the young prince as he walked to the door. Stopping in the frame of the door, he said quietly. "Just go and don't come back."

Coran and the Alliance team just sat for a moment. Lance sank slowly into his seat. "I didn't mean… it was a thoughtless comment…

"Yes, it was." Sven response was simple. Looking past a recalcitrant Lance, Sven said, "Allura, go talk to him.

"But I don't even know where to look-

"Go left and up the stairs, first door on the left." Coran's voice was quiet.

Sven looked at the older man as Allura left the room. "I apologize for my subordinate's outburst. It was thoughtless and uncalled for, not to mention extremely unprofessional." Sven cut his eyes to Lance for a moment and was pleased that the pilot looked ill at ease.

Coran's eyes narrowed. "I take it that such outbursts won't occur in the future?"

"I'll see to it."

"Will you abide by Prince Kogane's commands regarding the Lions?"

Sven looked at Lance and then back to Coran. "I'll need to contact Garrison, but according the Prince, we don't have a choice. We will have to abide if we want to bring back Voltron." Pausing a moment, Sven asked, "Can he fly it?"

"I really don't know, Commander. But if the Black Lion says he can, then he will."

"He'll have to show me," Sven said. He wasn't going to put lives in danger for the whims of a prince.

Coran nodded. "Then let us hope Lt. Altaire can convince the prince not to send you packing so he _can_ show you."

Sven was shocked to see Coran smile a little. He frowned at the advisor. Hunk and Pidge were starting to talk quietly and Lance was sitting in his chair staring at the wall looking very morose. The commander stood and walked around to sit in the chair that the prince had vacated next to the advisor. "What was that smile for?"

The smile came back to Coran's face. "Lt. Altaire."

"What about her?"

"I just think it's interesting that you chose her to speak to the prince."

Sven's eyes opened wide. Coran thought he was sending Allura to Keith to coerce him to their way of thinking. "I wouldn't… she not that type of girl, sir."

"She may not be and that may not be your intention, but it was a wise choice none the less."

"A wise choice, sir?"

Coran looked toward the door. Keith had little knowledge of women. They led a very secluded life under the castle. A number of refugees were housed with them, but they were awe of the young prince. He had flirted and kissed a few, but he doubted that he had slept with any of them. Not necessarily the norm for a young man of his age. But then, most young men hadn't gone through what he had gone through. The provincial governments knew that Keith was alive but everyone knew that the planet was in no position to do anything for itself. So everyone remained quiet about the prince in the hopes that Zarkon would leave him alone and to this point it had worked.

"Sir?"

"What? Oh, yes. A wise choice. If you can't figure out why, Commander, I shan't tell you." With that, Coran closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. Keith was destined to marry a princess, but a flirtation wouldn't be a bad thing for the young man. His brows drew together though as he pondered the possible problem if the headstrong monarch got it into his brain to marry a Terran girl of common blood. Then his brow eased as he remembered this was Keith, who was a stickler in many ways to the traditions just as he was. No, there wasn't any fear of a strong attachment.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Allura took the route that Coran had suggested and soon found herself outside an ornately carved wooden door. It was slightly warped due to the large water spot she saw in the ceiling. She could also feel air blowing rather freely through the opening. _Is he on a balcony_? Pushing open the door, she sucked in a breath. The prince stood on a beam sticking out of the side of the castle. This section had sustained heavy damage and half of the wall was missing and large wooden beams stuck out into the Arusian air. Allura froze in fear of startling the young man.

The wind was blowing hair across Keith's face but he didn't care. Maybe Coran and Black were wrong. Maybe these weren't the pilots that were supposed to help them. The door to the room made a slight sound. They had sent someone to make amends. He just wasn't sure he was ready. "I know you're there and you might as well leave. I'm not in the mood to hear anything you have to say." He was unconcerned about the height or the stability of the beam as he had done this for years. It was his place of comfort and he didn't need outsiders ruining it.

"I'll go, but first I want to say that I am sorry. I won't apologize for Lance as he needs to do that for himself." Allura's voice was calm and gentle.

"He was only saying what all of you were thinking."

A most unladylike snort came from behind him. He couldn't resist and turned around in a fluid motion on the beam and walked back onto the platform of the floor. Tilting his head to the side and crossing his arms across his chest, he inquired, "So are you telling me that you don't agree with Lance and his assessment of my skills?"

Crossing her own arms, she looked him in the eye and said, "I don't know what your skills are, so I can't judge that. NONE of us have flown one of these mechas so I can't say how well I'll even do."

"But you're confident you can do it."

"I am or I wouldn't have come on this mission. I haven't found anything yet that I can't fly." Her tone was confident and sure and her gaze never wavered. "What makes you think you can fly one?"

_Intriguing_, Keith thought. "I never got the chance to fully explain. Lt. Hot-head just up and shot his mouth off."

Arms still crossed, Allura responded, "Well, I'm listening now."

Relaxing his arms and running a hand through his hair, he said, "As I said, the Lions talk to me. They send me images and visions. I don't know how to describe it, but Black just kinda downloaded the process for everything into my mind."

"He's also the one that told you you were to fly Black and which of us were to fly the other Lions?"

"Yes. Do you think I'm crazy?"

She took a moment to answer. "No. I don't think you're crazy and I don't think you're making this up. Will you let me talk to Sven about this?"

Keith shrugged, "Your choice. I won't budge on this and the Lions won't operate correctly for you anyway unless you agree. Go back to your shuttle and talk it over. If you're ready, come back in the morning and we'll make a plan. The Lions say that we can begin operating them whenever we're ready."

Allura nodded and dropped her arms so her stance was less defensive. "But we don't need to hang around here long once we get the feel of the Lions. Zarkon could have spies or drones in the area. Especially since he knows a shuttle made it past one of his patrols."

"Exactly. We can't take chances with my people. We come up together with a plan and execute it."

Smiling at the prince, she said, "Are you always this precise? I mean how did you learn all of this?"

"You mean on this hole-in-the-wall planet?" Keith smiled back as she blushed. "Oh, don't deny it. I've heard Lance mutter it under his breath. But I'm not offended, well, at least not too much. We've done everything possible not to draw attention to ourselves." He shrugged as he added, "It's pretty easy to do when you're ignored by the Alliance and left with little space-faring capability and no fleet. Obscure is pretty easy to do." He noticed her blush didn't lessen. "But back to your question. Coran taught me and some of the provincial governors have come to the castle and they have shared with me as well. I have also managed to get digital formats of many textbooks and part of the Royal Library still exists below ground."

"Well, I'd say your studies served you well."

"How about yourself? How did you get involved with flying for Galaxy Garrison?" Keith was intrigued with this woman who wasn't put off by his title and obviously thought for herself.

It was Allura's turn to shrug. "I've always loved flying and the faster the ship the better. Since I wasn't rich, my best option to fly fast ships was to join Garrison. But I'm not in it just for the flying, but I have to say, that without it, the job wouldn't be so much fun."

Keith could appreciate that. Freedom. Having the chance to do what you loved. He wanted to fly and it looked like soon, he might have the chance. That is, if the Alliance team agreed to his stipulations. "It was nice talking with you Allura. I hope that I will see all of you tomorrow morning. If not, have a nice flight back to Earth."

That was it. She was dismissed. He wasn't rude or anything, but he was done for now. After what Lance had said, she couldn't blame him. She left the room and made her way back downstairs. She really hoped that Sven would agree to the Prince's requirements. It wasn't out of the question. Well, as long as he really could fly. If he couldn't then they'd be putting their lives and Voltron at risk. Sven would never agree to that. But if he could fly…

Just a little while later, Keith watched the Alliance team leave the castle. The prince could tell nothing from their body language. He and Coran would have to wait and see what happened in the morning. Turning, he left the room and didn't look back.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

**Rating/Setting: **Rating is T. Setting is DotU but is definitely AU – see challenge info below.

**Response to Cheetoy's KAEX Challenge "A Royal Twist."** "What if Keith was the surviving Arusian Royal Prince and Allura was an Earth born hometown girl turned GA Starpilot? How will the prim and proper Prince deal with falling for a strong-willed GA pilot of no royal line? Sadly, Nanny and Coran insist on a Princess for our dear Kogane... But how shall they deal with the Drule Prince(ss)? Can they find their Happy Ever After?"

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Five<strong>

That night, Keith skipped dinner and went instead to the crypt room where his mother and father were entombed side by side. His presence had turned on the automated lighting system and he stood in front of the two sarcophaguses in the flickering light. "I don't know why I'm here. I just felt I needed to come. Tomorrow could be a very big day. Tomorrow we may bring back Voltron." Keith closed his eyes as he softly said, "I wish you could be here to see it, Father."

Through his eyelids, Keith noticed a brightness that quickly faded. With a gasp, he opened his eyes and saw the semi-transparent form of his father in front of him. Taking a step back in surprise, Keith could only mumble, "Father?"

"Yes, Keith, it is I."

"What? How?" The questions came quickly and then silence as Keith didn't know what to say. His father looked much the same as he did the year that he died. Alfor was wearing his formal court clothing, complete with cloak. Keith noticed that now he looked his father in the eye whereas before, he looked up to him. It seemed that Keith was the only one that had changed in eight years.

"The how is difficult to explain but my time in the world of the living is not without an end. I will be able to show myself to you as the need arises. My hope is to help you with reviving Voltron and taking your place as King of Arus." Alfor looked on his son fondly. "I have missed you, Keith."

Tears came unbidden to the prince's eyes. He had not been able to say good-bye to his parents all those years ago. Things were left undone that maybe now he could put right. "Father, I'm sorry that I disobeyed you and went riding. Perhaps-"

"No. Things would have been as they were. You would have been unable to stop them, just as Coran was unable. If you had been there you would either be dead or you would have seen us die. I would have wished neither for you, my son."

Keith nodded and continued his questioning. "Why haven't you come back before and why didn't mother come with you?"

"As I said, my time is limited. If I had come years ago, you would not have been ready to fly the Lion. The time for me to be here is now. As for your mother, the process to return requires some magical powers and they are powers she does not possess."

Keith's brow creased as he frowned. "Magic?"

"Yes, Keith, magic. There is some small magical power that is passed downed through the Kings and Queens of Arus. It comes upon the monarch when they become ruler of Arus." Alfor looked at Keith expectantly.

"So, when I become King, I'll get this magical power?" Keith was uncertain about having magic. It seemed… weird.

"No, Keith, you already have it." Seeing his son's eye open wide with a mixture of confusion and fear, Alfor raised his hands in an effort to calm Keith. "Don't be alarmed. It's okay, there's nothing wrong with it. In fact, it is usually such a small bit of magic that you don't even notice it unless you need it." Seeing that Keith still wasn't convinced, Alfor said, "The true nature of the magic varies from monarch to monarch. I don't truly know how strong your magic is, but I can feel it." Alfor sighed, "If only my magic had been stronger." Looking to his son, he said, "Have you ever realized that a decision or choice was wrong because of a 'feeling' you had? That sometimes you avoided an accident because of a split-second decision you made?" He could see understanding dawning on his son's face. "Have you ever wondered how the Lions can speak to you and you can speak back?"

Nodding Keith said, "Okay. So maybe it's not too weird. But are you saying that the other pilots won't be able to communicate with their Lions?"

"Oh, no, the Lions will be able to communicate with the pilots but it won't be as clear as your communication with them. As for the pilots speaking back, well, they can voice their thoughts aloud, but speaking to the Lions with their minds may take years. It will be a bond they have to grow and they have to be willing to open themselves up to the possibility."

Keith let out a breath. "You know they don't want me to fly."

Alfor now smiled openly at Keith. "But you will. I have a feeling you will be a natural at it." Piloting was something he himself had enjoyed and before the battle with Doom, Keith had shown an aptitude for flying in the shuttles.

Grimacing, Keith said, "Well, I guess we'll find out pretty soon. Once we determine a plan of action to attack Doom, I'll be expected to prove myself."

The serious look returned to Alfor's face. "I know. But before you do, there is something you should know. Assemble everyone in the castle in the control room for the Lions."

"But Father, that room was never operational. Sure it looks great, but it doesn't work."

"It will today."

"What do you mean?"

Alfor smiled and whispered, "Magic."

Alfor then proceeded to tell Keith what he should do.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Mid-morning, the Alliance team was waiting outside the Castle of Lions. They had a plan in mind for presenting themselves and their proposition. It all began with Lance. Having received a cold shoulder from the entire team the evening before, Lance was ready to get it over with. He knew he had been out of line and he deserved the dressing down he had gotten from Sven. Deserving it and enjoying it were two different things. Now here he was standing at the castle doors getting one last reminder from Sven. Lance wanted to roll his eyes as Sven went over what had already been gone over in detail several times already. But eye rolling would only lead to more lectures, so he put on his best attentive face and nodded in the appropriate places.

Sven knew that Lance was dying at the continual reminders. But this was an important mission and his rash decision to spout off at the Arusian prince had almost ended the mission before it began. Hearing a sound, the team looked to the door and saw Coran standing just inside.

"Coming in?" Coran called to them.

Sven gave Lance once last stern look and then moved toward the Castle of Lions. "Yes, sir. We are."

The small group of space explorers entered the castle for the second time but this time with much more apprehension. Upon entering the castle, they looked to the top of the stairs and saw the Arusian prince standing with his arms crossed watching them.

Lance, who was standing just behind Sven, said, "He's not going to make this easy, is he?"

Hunk thumped him on the ear.

"Ow!" Lance said as he leaned away from his teammate.

Looking serious, Hunk said, "Why should he make it easy. You're going to have to work hard to earn his trust and you've probably placed doubts in his mind about all of us."

Lance looked contrite. "Yeah, I know, and I've apologized to all of you about that."

Allura gave Lance a wan smile and said, "Your apologies to us won't mean much if he doesn't accept yours."

Turning to face the prince at the top of the stairs, he said, "I know and I'm going to make this right for all of us." Then he lifted his chin and walked with confidence to the stairway and proceeded up while the team and Coran stayed at the bottom. Reaching the top, he purposefully stayed one step below the prince. "Your Highness."

"Lieutenant."

Keith's voice was monotone and emotionless and Lance couldn't get a feel for the prince's emotional state. "I do apologize for my thoughtless words yesterday. I have been called a hot-head and reckless before, but never before have I seen it on display quite like yesterday. If my apology isn't enough, I'll wait for a return shuttle back to Earth. I just ask that you not send the rest of the team away for a mistake that was entirely my fault." Lance didn't let his eyes drop.

Standing still for almost a minute, Keith finally answered. "Apology accepted." Looking past Lance he then summoned the group to come up with a wave of his hand. Without even speaking to Lance, he turned and headed down the stone corridor.

Lance looked from the prince to the group proceeding up the stairs and back to the prince. That's it? Nothing else? Not knowing what else to do, he waited for the group to join him.

Coran moved to the front of the group and led them in a different direction than the one they had gone the day before. After descending about four sets of stairs, Sven called Coran to a halt. "Where are we going, Coran? This is much deeper than we went yesterday."

"It is, but we must go two levels further down." Seeing the doubt and slight mistrust in the commander's eyes, Coran added, "I promise all will be made clear before you leave the castle."

"All right." Sven's tone said that while he would agree to it, he wasn't thrilled with it.

After descending two more levels, the stairway came to an end and the door that exited the stairwell was… titanium. The team looked at each other. They hadn't seen anything this modern elsewhere in the castle. Their wonder continued as they entered a corridor of gleaming silver metal. Glancing down some corridors, they saw that they ended in a solid metal wall. What was this place and would they be allowed out? Finally, Coran came to a stop and gestured to the open door beside him.

Sven gave a quick glance at the team. They had come this far, they had to find out what was going on. Entering the room, Sven was taken by its size and seeming modern equipment. In fact some of it looked almost futuristic. What were the Arusians hiding? Sven started when he heard a voice from the dark shadows at the back of the room.

"You're wondering how we have such modern equipment on our backwater planet?" Keith gestured to the room around him. "My father had all of this built and installed before his death. It has been non-operational and no one knew what its primary purpose was until last night."

Pidge gazed around in wonder. "You're saying this is at least eight years old?"

"Yes."

"This is incredible. This all looks to be custom work. If I can get a look at the systems that run this-"

Hunk cut his friend off. "But why has it been non-operational? Why hasn't anyone fixed it? To be sure not all of the Arusian scientists were killed in the attack."

Coran stepped forward. "No they weren't, but none of them could get the machinery to work. The scientists that had been working with the king said that the systems would work when they were needed."

"Well, what's going to make them work now?"

"I'll answer that question after we've made some plans for attacking Doom and protecting Arus." Keith said looking over the group. "Let's go into this conference room and iron out our plan of action." Seeing heads nod, Keith led the group into the conference room.

An hour later, everyone found the plan acceptable. They would take the next day to become familiar with the Lions and their systems; Keith would have his evaluation later in the day. They would practice with Voltron on the following day. If there were no signs of an impending attack from Doom, they would take the Lions for a raid on Doom and its home fleet as soon as they felt they were ready. The Alliance would be notified and coordinate attacks on fleets in other parts of the quadrant. After attacking Doom, the team would return to Arus for repairs, prepare for additional missions, and defend the planet.

As they exited the room Lance, who had been pretty quiet for most of the meeting, asked, "So these computer systems. Are you going to show how they're going to work now?" It was curiosity and sarcasm that he asked with.

Keith smiled as he walked over to a console and looked at it closely, making sure a few of the actual toggle switches were set as his father indicated. "Remember I said that we didn't know its purpose until last night?" He turned and faced them leaning casually against the console. "Last night, my father appeared to me in a spectral form and told me that this room is the Control Center for the new castle and the Lions."

A chorus of questions issued from the Alliance team… "A ghost? You saw a ghost?" "What new castle?" "Have you lost your mind?"

The prince waited for the noise to subside and said, "You don't have to believe I saw my father or that I talked to him. You can believe with your own eyes." Turning, he placed his hands on the console and softly said, "Okay, Father, here goes nothing." Closing his eyes, Keith concentrated on sending power out from his hands. The king had said it would happen even if he didn't know how to do it, as long he was thinking about sending the energy out.

The group watching was incredibly skeptical and were whispering amongst themselves. Hunk was about to voice a loud question when Sven raised his hand, stopping the question before it was even asked. Sven had dealt with mystical forces before and did not discount the prince's words.

Finally, Keith felt a tingling in his fingertips and as he opened his eyes, arcs of electricity shot from his hands across the console. He felt no pain as the process continued. His father had said that his DNA and the power would combine to unlock the systems, bring them online, and then most miraculously, raise a new castle to replace the current one. When Keith had told Coran, the advisor had immediately begun coordinating the removal of the few remaining items of worth in the old castle. His reaction made Keith think that he had already encountered the ghostly version of his father. The reason why he wasn't told, he didn't know, but it was probably specified by his father.

Allura grabbed Lance's arm as she watched the current arc from the Prince's fingers.

As the systems in the room came online, the floor beneath them shook. Only Keith and Coran knew what was going on. When the process was completed everything was still and electricity no long emanated from the hands of the Arusian prince.

As Keith pushed away from the console, he stumbled slightly until Coran steadied him. Looking at the advisor, he said, "I did it."

With a smile on his face and in his eyes, Coran replied, "Indeed you did, my Prince." Looking away from Keith, the group around him was much easier to see in the bright lights of the new command center. He immediately noticed the youngest pilot had already gone over to the computer consoles and was working through a number of screens.

"Um, hey guys?" Pidge called over his shoulder. "I really think you should see this."

Everyone, including Coran and Keith came over to look at the screens that Pidge had brought up.

"Whatever the prince did, it brought a number of security cameras online. And if I'm correct, the old castle is gone."

"But we're in the castle, Pidge." Hunk said with some confusion.

"We were _underneath_ the old castle. We are now _in_ the new castle. Am I right, Prince Keith?" Pidge asked while pushing his glasses up on his nose.

"According to what my father told me last night, yes, you are correct." Keith looked past him to the screens. "Is there a camera pointing back to the castle?"

Pidge ran his fingers across a few keys and said, "This one seems to be located on the pedestal of the large stone statue at the end of the bridge." He pressed a few more keys and an image appeared on the large screen overhead.

Gasps and cries of exclamation sounded as a gleaming metal castle with colorful accents now stood where the devastated castle had stood only moments before.

Keith gazed at it in awe as he said, "Behold the new Castle of Lions."


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

**Rating/Setting: **Rating is T. Setting is DotU but is definitely AU – see challenge info below.

**Response to Cheetoy's KAEX Challenge "A Royal Twist."** "What if Keith was the surviving Arusian Royal Prince and Allura was an Earth born hometown girl turned GA Starpilot? How will the prim and proper Prince deal with falling for a strong-willed GA pilot of no royal line? Sadly, Nanny and Coran insist on a Princess for our dear Kogane... But how shall they deal with the Drule Prince(ss)? Can they find their Happy Ever After?"

**Author's Notes:** Thanks for the wonderful response to the story. I didn't expect it to be so popular, but I'm glad it is. As I am sure you can tell from the pace, it is set to be a longer story and not a one-shot or short story like most of my challenge responses. So I hope you stick around as I throw a few curves into the DotU timeline that didn't occur with Allura. Not so much in this chapter, but in the ones up-coming... Thanks again!

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><p><strong>Chapter Six<strong>

Once the initial shock of the team wore off, furtive glances were shot in the direction of the Crown Prince of Arus. How had he done it? What did he do?

Sven looked appraisingly at the man who was only a few years younger than himself. Lance discounted him because he didn't have any training, but it was obvious that this young man had something the rest of them did not. He didn't have to be a mind reader to know the kinds of questions that had to be bouncing around inside his team's head. So he laid it out for the prince and his advisor. "Magic." Four pairs of eyes turned to him. Keith continued to look at the castle on the screen and Coran watched the prince.

Hunk turned wide eyes on the prince. "Magic? Like that witch of Zarkon's? That kind of magic?"

Keith shook his head no and turned from the screen. "No, it's not that kind of magic. I can't do spells or anything like that but my father says it's the reason I can talk to the Lions so easily." The prince could tell that not all the team was convinced.

"You said that one of the entrances to the Lions was in this chamber. I think I found a sequence related to that," Pidge said as he looked at the screen in front of him. With just a few key strokes Pidge started the sequence and the section of the room where Pidge and Keith were standing started to rise and rotate slightly. Quickly, that section of the floor was about fifteen feet up in the air. Keith and Pidge walked to the edge and looked over.

"What did it do?" Keith called out.

Lance answered with awe as he walked around the structure, "There appears to be five doors that are labeled with numbers. Inside each…" his voice echoed as he leaned into one of the opening and then got louder as he leaned back. "Inside is a shaft with a T-bar. Looks like you're supposed to grab on and ride it down."

"Back up," Pidge called down. "I'm going to lower the dais." Moments later, the section of floor returned to its original location. Continuing to look at the code on the screen, the techie pilot mumbled something about genius code.

"What are we waiting for?!" Allura said with excitement. "That must be the way to the lions!"

Placing a gentle, but restraining hand on Allura's arm, Sven said, "We're waiting because we don't know what number corresponds to what Lion." And then glancing at Keith, he added, "And we should give Keith a chance to recover before throwing him into a Lion."

With a slightly guilty look, Allura said, "Oh, yeah. I'm sorry, Prince. I wasn't thinking."

Smiling at her, Keith said, "It's okay. I think we're all pretty excited. But I do need a moment before giving that T-bar a ride."

Coran walked up to the group and said, "Why don't we have a light lunch and then you can give it a try."

"Food? Sounds good," Hunk said and then looked around. "But do you fellas even know where the cafeteria is in this new place."

Keith laughed and said, "Actually, we don't. But we did ask the cooks that have been providing for us in the caverns to pack us something. The coolers are in the storage room. We don't even have to leave the room."

"There are former staff and soldiers living under the castle with us in the caverns. They knew that something would be happening with the castle and they should be exploring and mapping out the new facilities. Hopefully, by the time we are done this evening, the staff will have found us." Coran smiled at that. "And hopefully, it will mean that there will be rooms where we can all sleep this evening."

"Okay, I think I've figured out the entrances. One is Black. Two is Red. Three is Green. Four is Blue. Five is Yellow." Pidge looked over his shoulder and called to Coran and Lance. "I think you guys should come over here and check this out. If something goes wrong, you'll be the ones here. Both men went over and listened to the explanation of what Pidge had determined so far. It would be an on-the-job learning experience for all of them regarding the software and hardware.

Sven looked around at the numerous terminals and then stated, "I think we should all take a terminal and look over things. There's no reason to throw ourselves down a dark chute without at least taking the time to see what might be in the database regarding how this stuff operates." He saw the disappointed looks on the faces of his team and added with a smile. "I want to fly them too, but we'd just be reckless not to look into it first." Each team member nodded and headed to a console. Keith moved over to one as well. Soon everyone was going through the interactive touch screens and learning about how the Lions operated and how the castle worked in conjunction with them.

"Wow! Did you know that the castle has anti-aircraft guns as well as surface to air missile launchers?" Hunk was enthusiastic over his findings. Both Coran and Lance moved over to see the information that Hunk had pulled up. Since the two men would be manning the control center, both were interested in how to defend the castle against attack.

The group had been so interested in reading up on the castle and Lion systems, that they forgot about lunch until mid-afternoon. Once they had lunch, they all reluctantly agreed that testing the Lions out that day wasn't a good idea. They still had much to learn and they hadn't even left the control room. Who knew what was going on in the rest of the building? Once that was decided, the group left the control room to locate any possible hangers where the Alliance shuttle could be moved. Its current location would only be a beacon to the Drules and anyone else interested in what was going on on Arus.

It wasn't long before they located a very excited member of the staff. Carly was only too happy to show them an exciting feature of the new castle. Walking down the wide softly lit corridor, she soon stopped at a screen set into the wall. Placing her hand upon it, it ID'ed her from a previous login. She announced where she wanted to go and instantly a map showing her current location appeared on the screen and moving lights in the direction she was to go. The screen also contained the level and section of the castle in case you didn't need the map.

The team was getting ready to go in the direction indicated when Pidge stopped them. Placing his hand upon the screen, he identified himself and then asked if there were other formats to display the location of the hanger bays. The computer instantly said that printouts and 3D images were available. "Please show 3D format."

"Please step back three feet from the wall." The computer politely informed them.

Once they were out of the specified area, a small beam lit from the top of the screen to display a 3D image of the castle with the locations marked. The members of the group walked around the image.

Pidge was beaming and everyone could see he was excited about exploring the castle and all the unknown functions of the software. As they began their walk to the hangers, Pidge rattled on to any teammate who would listen about querying the system, code formatting, and so on.

As Coran and Keith followed the group, Coran asked, "So what do you think, Keith?"

"I think Black and my father are right. These are the people we need." Waving a hand in the direction of the bouncing teenager, Keith said, "My computer knowledge is greatly limited compared to what any of them know and especially Pidge. We'll learn so much more about how things work with their help than we would have fumbling around on our own."

"Indeed. I agree whole-heartedly." Glancing up at Lt. McClain, Coran probed the prince further. "What about Lance? Are you going to be able to get along with him?"

"I know he regrets what he said, but…" Shaking his head, Keith said, "I'm just glad that Sven is the commander, Lance and I would probably just butt heads all the time." Looking thoughtfully at the pilot in front of him, he added, "I think he might just bring out the worst in me."

Coran laughed. Keith glanced at him suspiciously. Fearing he wouldn't like the answer, he refrained from asking Coran why he laughed. Coran, however, was smiling as he thought of how different the two young men were. One thing was for certain, the days ahead would be interesting.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

**Rating/Setting: **Rating is T. Setting is DotU but is definitely AU – see challenge info below.

**Response to Cheetoy's KAEX Challenge "A Royal Twist."** "What if Keith was the surviving Arusian Royal Prince and Allura was an Earth born hometown girl turned GA Starpilot? How will the prim and proper Prince deal with falling for a strong-willed GA pilot of no royal line? Sadly, Nanny and Coran insist on a Princess for our dear Kogane... But how shall they deal with the Drule Prince(ss)? Can they find their Happy Ever After?"

**Author's Notes - PLEASE READ!:** So, I will be visiting some of the DotU episodes. Is there an episode that you would like me to "twist" into my story? I can't guarantee that I will, but it would be very likely. : - ) That is unless it is a mouse episode, because the mice aren't in this story. Anyway, write a review and let me know what episode you'd like to see "twisted." ;-D Happy reading, it's a longer chapter!

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><p><strong>Chapter Seven<strong>

The rest of the day was a flurry of activity around the new castle. While the inhabitants of the caverns beneath the castle had been told what was to occur, the people in the surrounding area had been shocked. The island on which the castle stood had been inundated with people coming to discover where the castle came from and what it meant. Keith had spent the rest of the day holding audiences with his subjects and local officials. The team had spent their time checking on all the castle's defenses and security. It had been agreed that no investigation of the Lions would occur unless all could be present.

After holding one last session from a low balcony at the front of the castle, Coran had led Keith away. The prince had informed the soldiers on duty to let the people know that there would be notices posted about more audiences to explain what was going on. The men had beamed with pride at their new duties protecting the castle. For so long, they had been forced below ground. Thankfully, as the guards grew older, they also trained younger men to handle the duties in the hopes that this day would come again. The seamstresses had kept the uniforms in good repair and had managed to get material from the local weavers to make new ones. As Keith looked around, he realized that the staff and soldiers looked as if they had been staffing the castle like this for years. A smile crossed his face as he continued to walk beside Coran. To say that the new castle was a moral boost was a huge understatement.

Coran noticed the smile on the young prince's face. "What is it, Keith?"

Casting his gaze across he large room they were crossing, he replied, "Just all of this. How the people have responded so quickly and eagerly to the castle."

"And to you, Keith. Don't underestimate how much they think of you." Coran hoped that the people would continue to appreciate the young man. Right now things were looking brighter than they had in years. Once the Lions were put back into use and Voltron was seen once again, the people would be even more encouraged. However, he knew from experience how quickly the people could turn with just a few bumps in the road. Courage and heart were what the people needed now and he hoped they had enough.

Keith didn't say anything more about that topic, but did ask, "So where are we going now?"

"The dining hall."

"Dining hall? Not cafeteria?" Keith asked. Perhaps he should have expected a dining hall in such a structure as this, but he was used to making do with a cafeteria type environment. In fact, the thought of a dining hall was a little daunting.

"Oh, no, my Prince. It is a dining hall. Actually, there are two. We are going to the smaller of the two halls. It would only seat about fifty for a dining function." Coran kept a mirthful eye on Keith.

Reaching up to tug his collar, Keith asked, "Fifty? How many will be eating there tonight?"

Letting a chuckle slip out as he put a reassuring hand on his charge's back, he replied, "Oh, don't worry, it's just the two of us plus the space explorers. I invited a number of staff, but they all declined saying that the dining hall was meant for the prince."

Keith couldn't help but roll his eyes. He believed in following protocol when in public and to maintain order. However, he would miss being in a room with his people just enjoying the fellowship of a meal. Perhaps when things calmed down, he could do something informal to thank all the castle staff.

When they entered the dining hall, Keith was glad to see that it wasn't overly ornate. The space explorers were already filling plates at the small buffet that had been set up on a nearby table.

"I told the team not to wait for us as I wasn't sure how quickly I would be able to pull you away from the people."

Keith nodded his response and headed toward the buffet. Before he could reach the table of delectable food, he was intercepted by one of the cooks.

"Oh, Prince Keith! The kitchen is just wonderful! It has been years since I have had the opportunity to make use of such fine equipment!"

Glancing over Maria's shoulder, Keith looked longing at the bounty on display. "It looks and smells wonderful, Maria. I look forward to sampling a little of everything." Keith was serious, he was starving after the light lunch they had – all of them had been too excited about the castle and exploring to really give the afternoon meal more than cursory attention. The prince stepped to go around the cook, but she stepped back in front of him and began to wind her hands in her apron. Sensing that she was hesitant to speak, he prompted her, "Yes, Maria?"

"Well, I was wondering, Prince Keith… if you wouldn't' mind that is." Stopping her speech for a moment she drew a deep breath as the prince patiently waited. "I was wondering if it would be all right for me to contact Nanny Hilda." Seeing the look of irritation pass across the prince's face, she hurriedly continued, "It's just that Nanny ran the kitchens in the past and she would know best how to get them back into tip top shape."Maria finished in a rush and looked apprehensively at the prince.

Keith scowled for a moment and then saw that he was scaring the cook. "It's okay, Maria, I don't mind you asking. I will think on the suggestion." Then with a smile that relaxed the cook, he added, "Now, I'm looking forward to sampling that food."

Stepping to the side, Maria quickly said, "Of course, Prince Keith. Please let me know if there is anything special you would like to have in the upcoming days. We're in the process of filling the larder and refrigerator."

"I will," Keith called over his shoulder as he picked up a plate.

Coran was right behind him in the line. "Are you really considering allowing Nanny Hilda to come back?"

Keith let out an unroyal-like groan and leaned his head back as he held tightly to the plate. Before he had a chance to answer, a comment came from behind them.

"A nanny huh? The battle-ax kind or the voluptuous kind?" Lance smirked at the two diners in front of him. For a moment Keith shot him a glare and Lance wondered if he'd put his foot in his mouth yet again. But then the prince answered and relief washed over him.

"Definitely battle-ax." Keith responded with a smile as he reached over to scoop a huge portion of mashed potatoes on his plate.

Stiffening between the men, Coran said, "Your Highness, you know that Nanny Hilda only had your best interests at heart. She was truly a gifted teacher and housekeeper."

Laughing as he continued to place food upon his plate, the prince said, "Well, Coran, you never had to study under her and if I remember correctly, you received a piece of her mind on more than one occasion."

"Really?" Lance asked.

Coran cleared his throat and said, "This isn't about me but what is best for the castle."

Turning to point a spoon dripping with some kind of jellied fruit at his mentor, Keith said, "I said I'd consider it. But I'm telling you, IF I allow it, I won't have her running my life and schedule."

"Of course, my Prince."

"She won't tell me who I can be friends with."

"Certainly not." Coran answered again.

"She won't make me wear those horrible traditional court clothes."

"But, Keith-"Coran broke off that sentence at the thunderous look on the prince's face.

"And I won't have her badgering me about getting married."

Conversation around them was almost non-existent around them as most of the group heard his comments. Keith shot them all a look as he finished putting food on his plate. He dared a quick glance at Coran and saw that he was smiling. Of course he would be smiling, he hadn't had to listen to Nanny tell him from the age of seven about his duty to marry a princess or member of a royal house. It had been ridiculous to the pre-teen boy and he was still not in the mood to hear it at age twenty.

Lance followed Keith and sat beside him. Keith only gave him a quick glance before digging into his food. But the lieutenant was undeterred by the prince's silence and his commander's glare. "I'm with you, Prince, we're too young to be married and tied down." The cheeky pilot glanced over to his female teammate who acted like she wasn't listening but obviously was. "I mean, why get married to a stuffy royal when there are plenty of girls around to date and be with? Some of them are even pilots."

Allura could have killed Lance with a look. Unfortunately, her look did not cause bodily harm and only garnered her a wink from the man she considered her friend. Thankfully, Keith seemed oblivious to the implied option of the female pilot sitting at the table.

The prince finished chewing and said, "It's not so much that I'm against marrying a princess, it's just the pushy way that woman was about it." He shook his head so that his dark hair fell around his face. In fact, it almost looked like the young man shuddered at the thought of his former nanny. "I'm not really that interested in dating right now, too much protocol to follow." With that comment, Keith seemed to think the topic was clarified and closed.

Lance looked at Keith like he had grown a second head. _Not interested in dating? Too much protocol? It's like the guy's been living in a cave- Wait, the guy has been living in cave._ Lance turned thoughtfully to his food. If he could avoid putting his foot in his mouth, perhaps he and the prince could have some fun after all.

A lively and talkative girl who said she was going to be part of the custodial staff led them off after dinner to show them their rooms. The girl, whose name was Teri, kept glancing back and forth between Sven and Lance as she talked. Allura just shook her head at the obvious infatuation the girl had.

Hunk leaned in to Allura and said, "I really don't know how you escaped their charm. The two of them draw women like bees to honey." Both laughed and Keith glanced at them. The over-sized pilot noticed how Allura stared at the prince's back when he turned back around. He had also noticed her rather prominent blush as Lance had made his dating comments to the prince at dinner. Hunk didn't say anything; the female pilot would get enough ribbing by McClain as it was.

The pilots were pleased and surprised that they were each given their own private room and bath. They were used to much more Spartan conditions, being pilots. The group then followed the still chatty Teri to an elevator that took them up just one floor where the royal apartments were located.

Keith had almost been embarrassed by the size of the rooms and the opulence. To think that all of this had been buried beneath the ground for eight years was staggering. While there were basic linens and soaps for the rooms and baths, things like rugs and drapes would have to be made or purchased. Looking around his rooms, he wondered at the space. He just didn't remember his room being this big as a child. "Is there a smaller room?" Keith asked the maid.

Teri's eyes widened, "Oh no, Your Highness. This is specifically marked as the King and Queen's chambers. You should definitely stay here."

A slight blush crossed his cheeks. "Well, right now I don't have a queen and I'm not in a hurry to get one. To be sure there are smaller quarters for adult children of the reigning monarchs." Keith's tone wasn't harsh, but Teri looked as if he had slapped her across the face.

"But... Prince Keith... You are the reigning monarch and it is only fitting that you stay in these chambers. The household staff agreed upon it. Do you not like the room? Is it we did something wrong-"

Keith raised a conciliatory hand. "No. No. It's okay, Teri. These rooms will be fine." His tone was resigned and tired as he spoke but Teri didn't seem to notice it at all. "Please let the staff know how pleased I am with the room and all of your hard work today to ready this for us."

Bobbing a quick curtsey, Teri beamed with happiness as she practically bounced from the room.

As Allura watched Teri, she took note of the curtsey. Was she supposed to do that in the prince's presence? Suddenly she felt uncomfortable. She had always been more of a tree climber than a dancer and the thought of doing such a move as that with ease and grace made her distinctly nervous. With a start, she realized that Sven was talking.

"Thank you once again, your Highness, for your hospitality." After he received Keith's acknowledgement, Sven continued, "Shall we make an early start of it? Talk about our plans further at breakfast and then investigate the routes to the Lions?"

It was with a warm smile that Keith agreed and the group parted ways on a much more congenial note than the day had started with. Tomorrow was truly new and fresh. As the Alliance team and Coran walked away from the royal chambers, Sven just hoped that the prince really could fly or it was going to be a hell of a mess.

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><p><strong><em>Please see Author's Notes at the top if you didn't read already. I have an opportunity for you to "join" the story in a way. ;-)<em>**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

**Rating/Setting: **Rating is T. Setting is DotU but is definitely AU – see challenge info below.

**Response to Cheetoy's KAEX Challenge "A Royal Twist."** "What if Keith was the surviving Arusian Royal Prince and Allura was an Earth born hometown girl turned GA Starpilot? How will the prim and proper Prince deal with falling for a strong-willed GA pilot of no royal line? Sadly, Nanny and Coran insist on a Princess for our dear Kogane... But how shall they deal with the Drule Prince(ss)? Can they find their Happy Ever After?"

**Author's Notes:** Still taking episode requests! I have several but will take more. ; - ) Also, I really like this chapter. I like most of them, but there's something about this chapter...

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><p><strong>Chapter Eight<strong>

Breakfast the following morning was a bit strained, but not unbearably so. Lance seemed to have accepted his role as support personnel for the moment. Of course, Sven thought, he might just be biding his time so that Prince Keith could fall flat on his face. Heaven knew he wanted Lance to be flying. The man was rash at times but he was an exceptional pilot and not having him fly would weaken the team, but the choice had been removed from them. The Arusian prince had to have the opportunity to at least try. That's where they all were now…

Coran was atop the raised dais and the group was looking a little skeptically at the T-bars and dark shafts.

"I can go first, if you like," Keith said as he gazed into the inky depths of the #1 shaft.

"No, I'm team leader and I'll go first." Sven was decisive.

Keith walked over and handed him a key. It was fairly large and oval.

"Wait," Lance called from a nearby terminal.

"Is something wrong?" Sven inquired, turning from the prince and the #2 entry.

"No, there's nothing wrong, but I'm thinking that at least one of us should be at the bottom of the shaft in case something goes wrong." Lance looked away from the terminal he was at. "According to the map, there appears to be both an emergency stairs and elevator just down the hallway from here that goes directly to transport hub that the prince described to us yesterday."

Sven thought for just a moment and said, "Good idea, Lieutenant. Head on down. Take a portable com with you in case you can't locate one down there and call us when you arrive." Sven didn't want to voice the opinion that Lance's help wouldn't be much if he fell the length of the shaft. Then there was the whole thing about the Red Lion being stationed inside an active volcano. So many ways to die before he even engaged in a battle. Hell, before he even started the thing up. But then, this is what he signed up for: the unexpected and the amazing. If it all worked, nothing in his past or future would or could touch this.

"Come in control, this is McClain."

Pidge was manning the lower station. "We hear you loud and clear, Lance. How do things look?"

Lance gazed around the circular room with awe. It seemed to be a constant state of being now. Now, how to describe this… "Well, the description that the prince gave is a little altered now that the castle has shifted. Everything looks safe, but the area where Prince Keith described walls is open. In fact, I believe that is the section where the shafts end and when you let go, you'll drop into some type of mini-ship that will take you down the tube to the Lion."

"Anything else, Lieutenant?"

Walking over to one of the tubes, Lance stepped inside and instantly the automated lights snapped on lighting several sections down the tube. "Amazing."

"What was that?"

"There were automated lights when I came down here but I didn't realize they extended into the tubes. I'm pretty sure that as the mini-ship goes down the tube that the tube will light up as you pass through each section. It's pretty freaking awesome down here."

Sven could hear the longing in Lance's voice though he didn't voice anything. Giving a quick look to the prince, Sven responded. "Step back, Lieutenant, I'm on my way down."

"Acknowledged, Commander."

"Here goes nothing," the Norwegian commander said as he leapt for the bar. Grabbing it with no problem, he was surprised by how smoothly he spiraled toward the small dot of light he could see below. As the light grew closer, he judged the spot where he should drop. After all he didn't want a dislocated shoulder from coming to an abrupt stop on the T-bar. Releasing the bar, Sven dropped from the shaft. His eyes widened as he realized he was now wearing a helmet and his clothing was altered. The time to think was fleeting as he dropped into the mini-ship and it automatically sped down the tube.

Lance's mouth was once again gapped open. "What. The. Hell?!"

"Report, Lieutenant!" Coran's voice came with concern over the com. It was still on and they had heard him. He scratched his head and said, "The commander is fine, but… but when he dropped from the shaft, he was wearing a helmet and some kind of uniform that I've never seen before. Did he change up there?"

Everyone in the room looked at each other before Coran responded. "No, Lieutenant, the Commander didn't change." Coran saw that Pidge was now at a terminal. "I believe Pidge is looking for answers to that mystery."

"I'm in the Lion now. I had no problems on the way here. However, I have no idea when my clothing altered. I felt nothing." Reaching up, Sven took the key to the Red Lion from some type of magnetic strip affixed to front of his uniform. When he was in the mini-ship, he had frantically felt around for the key. However, these uniforms were almost embarrassingly fitted and contained no pockets at all. As he heard the group discussing his clothing change, he had breathed a large sigh of relief when he discovered the key on the uniform. Holding the key in his hand now, he said, "I'm inserting the key now."

Silence reigned in the control room as the group tensed and waited for what was to come.

Sven watched as systems came online and the Lion powered up. He could have sworn he heard it roar. "Okay, here we go!" Using his knowledge of system configurations and the few diagrams they could find in the digital database, he made educated guesses. It was trial and error as he took the Lion out of the volcano. Once he broke free of the heated volcanic magma, he let out a cry of exultation. Then suddenly, a view of castle control popped up on his side screen.

Coran had pulled up a video com link to the Lion. "Hello, Commander. How is Red working?"

Smiling in spite of himself, Sven said, "Like a dream, Coran. This is awesome." Looking at some of the readouts on the displays, he gave the team some helpful information about the Lions and also told them where to find their key when they landed in the mini-ship. "Okay, guys, I think that it's okay for another one of you to come down." Sven looked at the monitor and saw their anxious faces. "I think it should be ladies first. Come on down, Allura."

The blonde pilot walked quickly over to Keith, who smiled as he handed her the key for Blue Lion.

"Have fun," he said quietly.

Allura was a little surprised at that, but as she took the key from him, she realized he was right. This should be fun. "I'm sure I will, Prince Keith." Then she turned and practically ran for the entryway as she pocketed the key. Leaping in the air, she grabbed the bar and began laughing as she spiraled down. "This is incredible!" She called out to whomever could hear her. Dropping into the mini-ship, she noticed her uniform change and then grimaced. "Pink?! I hate pink." She put thoughts of the dreaded color from her mind as she watched sea life outside of the lit tube. Lance had been right, this was amazing.

The Blue Lion's exit from the Castle Lake had been noticed by staff, soldiers, and locals in the area. Soon the buzz was out there that Voltron was returning.

Over the next twenty minutes, Hunk and Pidge made their trips down the shafts and into their respective Lions. Keith noticed that not one of them said anything about the Lions speaking to them. Perhaps it truly was magic between himself and the beasts.

Then Keith didn't have time to think about it anymore as Sven's voice came over the com system and vid screen. "Okay, your Highness, it's your turn."

Keith noted there was nothing sarcastic in his delivery and he was pleased by that. "Before I go down, I have sent word to clear the Lake Bridge and the area surrounding the stone statue. As you know, that is where Black Lion is stationed and when the stonework comes off, someone could get hurt."

"Understood, Prince. We'll keep working on understanding the Lions; just let us know when you're coming down."

"I will. It shouldn't be long now." Keith's voice didn't hint at the turmoil that was in his stomach. This was it. In the next hour or so, he'd either prove himself capable or the joke that Lieutenant McClain thought he would be. His heart was in his throat as the all clear came in and he sent word to Commander Holgersson. Keith glanced up to Coran. It was just he and Keith in the room now.

Pride was in Coran's eyes and his voice as he looked at Keith and said, "This is who you are, Keith. This is what you are meant to do."

Keith's heart seemed to move back to where it should be inside his chest. Taking a deep breath, he leapt for the T-bar and spiraled down to find his destiny.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

**Rating/Setting: **Rating is T. Setting is DotU but is definitely AU – see challenge info below.

**Response to Cheetoy's KAEX Challenge "A Royal Twist."** "What if Keith was the surviving Arusian Royal Prince and Allura was an Earth born hometown girl turned GA Starpilot? How will the prim and proper Prince deal with falling for a strong-willed GA pilot of no royal line? Sadly, Nanny and Coran insist on a Princess for our dear Kogane... But how shall they deal with the Drule Prince(ss)? Can they find their Happy Ever After?"

**Author's Notes:** Ahhh, just because I can... I shall post another chapter! I think if I stay 10 chapters ahead of what is posted, I'm comfy. Well as comfy as a plotter can be posting when the work isn't completely finished. So, you can guess, that I am now working on chapter 20! Will post again when I finish that chapter. Oh! Still taking episode requests! Did I mention that I'm having fun writing this? I have hardly done any housework today. Sad. Very sad.

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><p><strong>Chapter Nine<strong>

Lance waited impatiently at the bottom of the drop shaft. Once the prince radioed that he was safely in the Lion, he could head back up to the control center so that he could watch the action. Watch the action. He hated it. Gritting his teeth, he watched as Keith dropped into the last mini-ship. The lieutenant had watched with interest as the pilots had dropped one by one from the shaft. Their uniforms were primarily white, with colored accents on the helmets, shoulders, chest, and boots. After seeing that Sven had black accents and Pidge had green, he had begun to think that the colors indicated the Lion they should fly. With Sven having the black accents, he had just begun to have thoughts about confronting the prince when Allura dropped out of the shaft… with pink accents. Even though he was alone, he had said out loud, "Pink? She hates pink! And what the hell? There's no pink Lion." He had fumed for a bit and was furthered irritated when Hunk dropped down with accents that were orange. Lance couldn't even call them a yellowish-orange. They were undoubtedly orange. So when Keith dropped down with the red accents, he could only mutter about it being a shame that the accents didn't indicate the Lion. Now, as he heard Keith radio in his arrival in Black Lion, he hurried to the elevator.

The prince had only caught a glimpse of Lance as he dropped from the shaft. He knew that the lieutenant would be heading back up to control to assist Coran with any problems resulting from Black Lion shedding his stone covering. Patiently he waited for Coran to indicate that Lance was there and then he would insert the key. His breathing was a little rapid and if he weren't wearing gloves, he knew his hands would be sweaty. _Wait. Gloves? How did the machine put gloves on my hands while I was holding the T-bar?_ He was snapped out of his questioning thoughts by Coran coming on the vid screen and indicating that Lance was in position.

"Acknowledged, Coran. I'm inserting the key now." Once the key was inserted, Keith watched the systems power up and come online. Blinking and making sounds, the systems that hadn't been activated in decades came back to life. Muffled cracking sounds came from outside of the cockpit. Keith couldn't image how loud the sounds had to be in the surrounding area if it was this loud inside the Lion. Soon the vid screens activated inside the Lion as the stone dropped away. Most feel harmlessly into the lake. Some fell to the bridge, but not in quantities or sizes that would be difficult to remove.

"Is everything all right, Prince Keith?" Coran was looking over the readouts in control for the Black Lion. Everything looked fine.

"Systems all seem to be online and ready. I'm taking off now."

"Let's see what you can do, pretty boy." Lance muttered under his breath as he looked at the large monitor.

Coran raised an eyebrow but didn't otherwise acknowledge that he heard the disgruntled pilot. Even though things were better last night and this morning between the two young men, Coran sensed fisticuffs were inevitable between them before long if Lt. McClain didn't learn how to control his tongue. And here he thought Keith was a bit rash. The lieutenant took it to another level. He prayed nothing happened to the Commander as the thought of Lance McClain leading the team wasn't to be considered. Coran stopped his musing as the eyes of Black Lion flared and a roar sounded forth as it bounded from the pedestal.

Keith looked over the controls. Everything seemed familiar. His hands traveled over controls like he had been doing this for years. Taking a position with the other Lions on the flats twenty miles from the castle, he hailed Sven. "What do we do now, Commander?"

Sven had the pilots take their Lions through a set series of maneuvers meant to test speed, maneuverability, and response time. They only did minor testing of weapons systems – primarily to make sure they worked. Sven didn't say it out loud, but Prince Keith was invaluable as some of the weapons systems such as the ion knife weren't known quantities to the Alliance pilots. However, Keith knew things about them and how they worked based on his 'discussions' with the Lions. When they returned to the castle, Sven knew he'd be asked to make a judgment on Keith's ability to be part of the team and pilot of Black Lion. As of the training today, Keith was more than adequate to be a pilot. Tomorrow they would form Voltron and he would evaluate the young man further. He knew that Lance wouldn't be happy with the evaluation so far, but if he was fair, he'd have to agree with Sven.

They had been practicing and testing for over five hours. Breakfast was a long time ago and it was time to park the Lions and go over the data after cleaning up. While the Lions were climate controlled, there had been some stressful moments and he was sure he wasn't the only one who had sweated a little.

"Okay, team, time to give the cats a rest. We'll take an hour to clean up and eat and then we'll go over what the data shows from our practice." Sven sent the word out on a broadcast to everyone.

Hunk added, "And let's see how we can get our real clothes back."

"What's wrong, Hunk, they didn't get you the right size?" Pidge asked.

"Well, let's just say it's uncomfortably tight in a few areas."

Chuckling sounded around.

Lance came over the system to give them some answers. "According to the database, you're clothes were transformed. An exact duplicate of the clothes you had on was stored in the system and as you return up the T-bar shaft, your clothes will transform back."

"How are we supposed to get back to that T-bar?" Hunk asked. "Pidge might be able to jump up there, but there's no way I'm going to."

"According to the database, the T-bars will lower so that you can grab them from the mini-ships. If for some reason, the T-bars are out of order, there is a small chamber set near the elevator and stairwell. If you go into that chamber if will reverse your clothes there." Coran's voice was matter-of-fact, as if this was a common occurrence. Then he chuckled as he added, "An added benefit is that it clears your clothes in the process. Both the ones you were wearing and your uniform."

"Yeah, well, I hope it didn't shrink my clothes any." Hunk's voice had true concern. "Do you know how uncomfortable a tight sweatband is on your forehead?"

"Not on my forehead, Hunk, but I've worn some hair bands that gave me headaches." Allura chuckled as Hunk grumbled.

"Well, let's wait and see the results together, shall we?" asked Sven. "When your ships get back to the hub, wait there before taking the T-bar. We'll all make the trip up together."

Allura frowned at that thought. It was bad enough that the team had seen part of the hideous pink outfit on their vid screens, but this would lead to even more teasing. At Garrison, she was well-known for abhorring things frilly and what she considered too "girly." She liked a nice dress and a sexy high-heel, but frumpy or overly feminine things were off her list. And she never wore pink.

As the ships docked at the hub, the pilots stood up on the seats to wait the arrival of the others. Keith and Allura were the first two to arrive as their Lions were closest to the castle. While the return system through the tubes was fast, flying the Lions closer to the castle made them faster and so they ended up alone in the hub.

Keith took off his helmet and shook his hair loose. Putting his helmet under his arm, he looked over to Allura. He had thought she was pretty when they met, but emotions had been running so high ever since, he hadn't had the chance to appreciate just what a beauty she was. She too, had taken off her helmet. His eyes raked over the form-fitting Voltron uniform and his breath caught in his throat. She was beautiful. He almost shook his head in exasperation at himself. He didn't have a lot of experience with women but he should have noticed her. Looking over to one of the other tunnels as he heard another shuttle approaching, he thought that Allura Altaire probably hadn't given him a second glance. She was older than he was and most likely had more experience with the opposite sex. Not a thought he liked, but it was most likely true. And then there was the simple fact that she was on the same team as Lance and Sven who were her age. If most of the guys at Garrison looked like Sven and Lance, well, he was sure she had experience. He couldn't help but scowl as one of the men he was just thinking about arrived. Sven stood up, looking every bit the hero in a woman's fantasy. Keith scowled even more thinking about it.

Allura hadn't taken her eyes off of the dark-haired prince since they had stood up to await their teammates. She had felt flushed as she watched him take off his helmet and shake out that gloriously dark hair. Just put him on a beach with a surfboard and he'd look the part. The Voltron uniform definitely gave her an eyeful of the handsome prince. While he hadn't had Garrison training, he was certainly fit and could probably hold his own with the guys. Then he started scowling. She frowned herself; what had happened to put that look on his face? Then she heard the return of another mini-ship. Ah, he was probably concerned about Sven's evaluation. Looking over to her commander as he stood up, she thought he wouldn't have too many negative things to say about the prince's performance. By this time, Hunk and Pidge had also arrived.

The T-bars had lowered as the pilots had arrived and now all they had to do was grab them and to be pulled up. Easier said than done for Allura and Pidge. Well, Allura at least. Pidge jumped onto the back of the mini-ship and then leapt to catch the bar. Hunk didn't have to do anything but put his hands on it. Sven and Keith both looked to Allura.

Smiling, she climbed onto the back of the mini-ship and managed to grab the bar. Sven looked over to Keith, we'll have to see if they can lowered those bars further for Pidge and Allura. Then with a smile he glanced up, and maybe just a little for us as well? Keith smiled as he nodded. Both men only had to make a slight jump to grab the bar and then they were heading back up.

After Keith and Sven exited the dais, the raised platform lowered. Coran and Lance stepped away from the computers. "I suggest that you follow the Commander's suggestion and clean up. I'll head to the dining hall and ask for them to have a light repast prepared in half an hour." Coran suggested to the group.

Scratching his head, Hunk said, "Um, can you make that a 'heavy' repast? I'm afraid I worked up an appetite out there."

Coran chuckled. "Indeed Hunk. I'll make sure there is enough there to satisfy your hunger."

As the group turned to leave control, Lance called out, "Hey, Allura, did I see you in pink?"

Keith watched as Allura's delicate features scrunched up.

"Ugh! I don't know how that machine determined the colors, but it didn't get pink from my thoughts."

"But Allura, pink is such a feminine color," Sven said with a laugh.

"Yeah, well, you know me, I'm not THAT feminine." Allura said with a huff as she moved past the boys to lead the group out.

Then Lance couldn't help but add, "Well, you might not have liked the color, but you looked pretty hot in that uniform."

Keith stared at her as she walked briskly from the teasing group. 'Not that feminine?' She looked mighty feminine to him in that uniform. He saw now that her current outfit, while fitted, didn't draw the eye like the Voltron uniform. And if 'hot' meant that she looked incredible, then hot was an understatement. Then he blushed as he suddenly realized that his uniform had also been very fitted. What did she think of him in his uniform?

Coran watched as the Alliance team all went out together. Keith stood watching them go and then he blushed. _Is he embarrassed that they didn't wait for him?_ Walking over to Keith, he put his hand on the young man's back. "It's okay, Keith, they'll accept you."

Turning a face full of confusion to Coran, Keith asked, "What? What are you talking about?"

This time it was Coran's turn to look confused. "I, um, I thought you were worried that the team had left you behind."

An even darker shade of red graced the cheeks of the Arusian prince. "Uh, yeah, sure, Coran. That was it." Turning quickly, Keith left so Coran couldn't ask him anything else. Talk about embarrassing.

Coran's brows knitted together as he watched the prince leave. Obviously, it wasn't the team leaving without him that turned his face red. What had they been talking about before they left? Oh, yes, Allura's outfit being pink and some comment about her being hot it in. Honestly, the uniforms were supposed to help keep body temperature regulated. His musings on the fabric stopped as he realized a different meeting could be applied to the comment. "Ah." Looking at the door where the prince had left, Coran merely nodded. "Hormones. I hope he doesn't let it distract him."


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

**Rating/Setting: **Rating is T. Setting is DotU but is definitely AU – see challenge info below.

**Response to Cheetoy's KAEX Challenge "A Royal Twist."** "What if Keith was the surviving Arusian Royal Prince and Allura was an Earth born hometown girl turned GA Starpilot? How will the prim and proper Prince deal with falling for a strong-willed GA pilot of no royal line? Sadly, Nanny and Coran insist on a Princess for our dear Kogane... But how shall they deal with the Drule Prince(ss)? Can they find their Happy Ever After?"

**Author's Notes:** Wrote Chapter 20 last night, so I shall post another chapter! Staying 10 chapters ahead! Still taking episode requests! Did I mention that I'm having fun writing this? Housework still suffering but I did make cookies yesterday and today. Priorities ladies, priorities!

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><p><strong>Chapter Ten<strong>

Keith managed to put thoughts of Allura in the Voltron uniform to the side as the group sat down at a conference room located outside of Castle Control. They had changed and eaten and were now ready to go over the data from the earlier practice session. Everyone in the room was relaxed except for him, but then, he had more riding on this than any of them.

Looking around the table, he watched as Lance worked on a tablet that worked in conjunction with a large vid screen on the wall. When he received a nod from Lance that he was ready, Sven cleared his throat, effectively silencing the sidebars. "Because none of us have ever flown one of these machines before, we have nothing to compare it to but ourselves. So, we won't look immediately at individual data but show the results for all us on a graph for each component. We'll look at how we compare to each other." Here Sven stop and looked seriously around the room. "Just know that this was our first time and if someone is low, it doesn't mean that they won't improve."

Keith refrained from snorting at the comment though he did glance briefly at Coran. He was sure that Sven was talking about the Alliance pilots. He doubted that he would get such consideration being the outsider.

So the meeting began with Lance pulling up a series of graphs covering speed, response time, etc.

The prince sat forward, his place on the graph on each area was at or near the top. He noted that on the tests related to maneuvering quickly or avoiding obstacles, he was first. As he flew Black, he could sense things unrelated to his sensors. Was it the magic at work or just his connection to the Lion? Keith noticed that Lance just sat looking at the data on the screen. He made few comments and looked unemotional. The prince knew that the young pilot had to be severely disappointed.

Lance sat staring at the data showing that Keith had had the fastest reflexes of the group in maneuvering his Lion. Was there something to the mumbo jumbo about the Lion choosing him? That Lion had been encased in stone and there was no reason to think that Keith had ever flown one of the other Lions before. Could it be possible that the kid was just that good? What actually make him shake his head in disgust was the thought that none of the Lions wanted him. Why?

"Something wrong, Lance?" Sven asked.

"What? No nothing is wrong." Lance said with a somewhat defensive tone to his voice.

Sven gave the lieutenant a questioning look and then turned back to the group. "I suggest we go back out to the Lions and just spend the next few hours familiarizing ourselves with them. Tomorrow we'll work on forming Voltron and learning how the mecha moves when connected as to how he moves apart." Sven looked over at Keith. "Can you tell us about that process, Prince?"

Keith looked over at Sven. He hated to admit it, but he had been staring at Allura. He just kept thinking about her in that uniform. "What?"

Sven's eyes narrowed, "First Lance doesn't seem to know what's going on and now you, Prince." The commander glanced from one man to the other. "During meetings, I expect to be listened to. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Commander," both men said simultaneously.

"Now, Prince Keith, I asked if you could shed some light on the way the mechas work when combined as Voltron versus how they act individually." Sven sat back and crossed his arms. He was tired of playing.

The prince sensed he needed to focus and acted accordingly. "From what I have been shown and told, the Lions will retain much of their same firepower in Voltron as they do individually. As the Lion's pilot, you will be able to fire on your own." Then he was uneasy as he added, "I can also access your weapons as Black Lion's pilot."

Sven maintained his posture of crossed arms as he stared at the prince. "Can that control be turned over to another Lion?"

Keith shook his head no.

Lance looked incredulously from one man to the other. His façade of disinterest was beginning to crack. "What else will you control as Black Lion pilot?"

The animosity from McClain was coming off in waves. Obviously, he felt that his Commander was now being slighted even further by the prince. Keith, however, was only doing as the Lions instructed. "Individual pilots can control some movement of their Lions as is required to use the weapons; however, I will control the direction and movement of Voltron as a whole."

Silence filled the room.

"Anything else?" Sven asked evenly. His tone was calm, but his team knew that the Norwegian was seething underneath his calm exterior.

Coran watched and listened carefully as Keith continued talking. This was a precarious time. The Alliance team had been accepting so far, but now a breech seemed to be opening.

Keith closed his eyes and drew upon the brightest image given to him from Black Lion. Opening his eyes, he said, "Voltron's primary weapon is his blazing sword. While a team member can give the order to form it if needed and Red and Green Lions actually make the sword, it is I and I alone who wields it."

Sven turned to Lance. "While we're out practicing, I want you to check the database. See if you can find out about what the Prince says. Most importantly, see if you can find a way to transfer command from the Black Lion to the Red Lion." Looking around the room, Sven said, "The meeting is over, head to Castle Control. We'll practice the rest of the day."

And just like that, Sven dismissed them without acknowledging Keith again.

Keith sat looking at a far point on the wall across from him as he heard Coran move closer to him. "They'll never accept me," he said quietly. "I don't really blame them. I don't have any strategic training like they do."

"But you've studied, Keith-"

Snorting, Keith said, "Like reading about strategy and battles makes you a leader. You and I both know that's not how it works." Waving his hand in the direction of the door where the pilots exited, Keith continued, "They've had combat experience; I haven't." Leaning back and closing his eyes, insecurity swept over him. "What if Black was wrong?"

Sitting down beside the prince, Coran placed a hand on his shoulder. "Nothing in today's practice indicated that you are anything less than capable."

Keith smiled at his mentor. "Yeah, in a situation where no lives were on the line; I did great."

Coran sighed, "The Lions are made of a magic that we can't even guess the age of. I think that they would be pretty good at determining who is best to fly them. Trust them." Squeezing Keith's shoulder he stood. "See you in Control."

"I'll be there in just a few minutes," Keith said as he returned his attention to the wall. He heard Coran's steps echo down the hallway. Closing his eyes, he thought about what it would mean to be the one in control of Voltron. Could he do it? Black had said this is who he was meant to be. This is what he was meant to do. But doubts flickered into his conscious. Could he wield the sword that could cleave ships into pieces? Could he take lives like that, even if they were the ones attacking his planet? Could he fire weapons from the Lion that would take the lives of other pilots? It was something that he needed to think about now. In the heat of battle it would be too late. Too late for all of them.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

**Rating/Setting: **Rating is T. Setting is DotU but is definitely AU – see challenge info below.

**Response to Cheetoy's KAEX Challenge "A Royal Twist."** "What if Keith was the surviving Arusian Royal Prince and Allura was an Earth born hometown girl turned GA Starpilot? How will the prim and proper Prince deal with falling for a strong-willed GA pilot of no royal line? Sadly, Nanny and Coran insist on a Princess for our dear Kogane... But how shall they deal with the Drule Prince(ss)? Can they find their Happy Ever After?"

**Author's Notes:** Getting ready to write Chapter 24... so I have several chapters I can post. Just not all at once. ;-) Still taking episode requests! Housework still suffering but I did empty the dishwasher today. Progress! This chapter is for those of you wondering how Lotor will play in this and whether there will be a Drule Prince or a Princess...

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><p><strong>Chapter Eleven<strong>

Zarkon sat in sufferance on his throne as he listened to his children bicker at the foot of the steps. It was times like these that he wished there was a way to carry on his lineage without having to put up with the childishness of his offspring. Tuning out their words, he looked at them. So different and yet so alike.

Lotor's mother was an Arusian royal who had died several years after his birth. His features were somewhat softer than other Drules, but it was obvious that he was a Drule. He was twenty-four years old, though he didn't act like it at court. The prince had just returned from a year long military campaign where he was highly successful in acquiring territory, valuables, and slaves. The king just wished his son showed more of that leadership on Doom.

His other child was his daughter, Princess Merla. She was just three years Lotor's junior and was the product of a short union between Zarkon and another Drule faction. Merla's mother didn't have time for children and happily gave her to Zarkon who wished to have a back-up, as it were, in case something happened to Lotor. Merla was an acknowledged Drule beauty with her extremely pale blue skin and vivid pink hair. And while her looks drew many suitors, her sharp tongue and equally sharp blade soon caused any interest to evaporate rather quickly.

Listening once again to what his children were saying, he realized the cause of the tension.

"Lotor, I told you that I was going to take command over the fleet going to the Elder system." Merla poked a finger in her brother's chest. Even with his mixed heritage, Lotor was taller than she, but she was still taller than many humanoid species that they conquered. However, his size didn't threaten her. She had held her own more than once with him while sparring.

Knocking her hand away, Lotor sneered as he spoke. "You don't always get what you want, sister. Your feminine wiles don't work on me… not that you can keep any man very long."

Her hand flew toward his face, but he was fast and held it tight as he glowered at her. "You just came back from a campaign two months ago. I have been here for four months. It is time that I commanded again."

In a quick movement, Merla was able to pull her arm away from Lotor. She gently massaged her wrist. "There are other fleets, dear brother. Take one of them. I commanded the Death Fleet before and I consider it mine."

Before Lotor could make another retort, an aid rushed into the room to kneel at bottom of the stairs. "My King Zarkon, there is important news," he said as he kept his head bowed.

Thankful for a break in the heated argument of his off-spring, he asked, "What is this news?"

"It is Planet Arus, my King. There is news that the Alliance shuttle that was damaged went to Arus. There are also rumors on Arus that the Alliance crew plans to resurrect Voltron."

Standing, Zarkon said, "Voltron and its keys were lost when we routed that planet years ago. The meddlesome King Alfor and his family were eradicated. The keys and the knowledge of Voltron lost with them and their capability to ever attack us."

Keeping his head bowed in fear, the soldier continued. "Indeed, King Zarkon, you destroyed the planet and its monarchs. However, our spies on Arus have managed to send brief messages using the equipment we gave them. The messages say that Prince Keith is alive. They say that the Lions have been seen flying in the Arusian sky. And…"

"What is it? What else do they say?" Lotor had walked over to the kneeling man.

"They say that a new Castle of Lions has arisen from the decay of the old one." The soldier stayed on his knee, head bowed. He could see the prince's booted feet not far away. He hoped his news didn't send the prince off on one of his heated tirades.

"What do you think, Father?" Merla called up.

"It all sounds far-fetched. Voltron was broken. Alfor killed." Zarkon sat down heavily on his throne. "I never was able to confirm the death of Prince Keith, but nothing was heard of him and I assumed that he had perished. Actually, without any defenses, I didn't think the prince could even cause a problem if he were alive."

Lotor moved over to stand on the lowest step. "Father, you told me that one day Arus would be mine. That as your son and with royal Arusian blood in my veins, it was my right to rule. Let me go and investigate and get rid of this irritation that would try to take what is mine."

An evil smile crossed Zarkon's lips. "Yes, Lotor. That sounds like a good idea. Take a battle cruiser and Haggar to investigate. Don't delay; I don't want any type of hope to fester there. Be sure to have Haggar take one of her robeasts as well. If there is a new castle, have it destroyed." He saw Lotor smile with satisfaction. Turning to his daughter, he said, "Take the Death Fleet and go to Elder. Return once they have submitted to our rule."

Bowing and placing a hand to her chest, Merla acknowledged him. "Thank you, Father. You honor me with your trust."

"Honor me by bringing the Elder system under our rule."

Merla nodded.

Waving a dismissive hand towards them, he said, "Enough. I've settled it. You have your orders. Return when you have done as I asked."

Lotor and Merla both bowed, and left the chamber. As soon as they exited, Merla spun and pushed her brother against the wall, her knife to his throat. "Have fun on that useless planet, brother. I will be bringing glory to the empire while you do nothing more than terrorize a helpless planet."

Using one finger to push her blade from his throat, he responded, "But sister, it is my planet. It will be the jewel in my crown once I inherit the empire from father."

Merla snarled as she sheathed her blade. "Father hasn't decided who will succeed him. It could still be me."

Throwing back his head, Lotor laughed, "You'll have to do more than win a few battles, Merla. I have done that and more. Perhaps if you could find a prince to marry, one that would have something of immense value. Maybe then, dear sister, father might listen." Lotor turned and began walking down the corridor towards Haggar's lab. "But since most men either run from you or end up dead, I don't find myself too worried."

Merla had no answer for him, as he was right. It only made her hate him more.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Keith arrived to breakfast as most of the team was finishing up. He had spent a somewhat restless night going over the 'what ifs.' Though the decision wasn't easy, and he hoped it never would be, he decided he could live with himself if he needed to take lives to defend Arusian ones. Any guilt that would come from his actions, he'd have to deal with. Black had told him he'd have to deal with the consequences of his actions, of his response to everything. In his own way, the Lion had warned him.

Now he grabbed a couple of slices of toast and a juice. He was just too nervous to eat much. The Alliance pilots would once again be judging him. Without an opponent, he thought it would be difficult for them to evaluate him on his performance. It just made him more nervous. It wasn't hard to realize how irritated all of the pilots were, even Hunk and Allura who tended to be a little more understanding. Sven was their commander and taking orders from a prince wasn't what they signed up for. As he sat down with his juice and toast, everyone but Hunk got up and headed from the table to Control.

"You two join us, once you've finished," Sven called over his shoulder.

"Sure thing, Cap," Hunk said before he pushed a muffin in his mouth.

Walking over and seating himself so that he was between Hunk's line of vision and Keith, Coran looked thoughtfully at the circles under Keith's eyes. "Not the most _professional_ behavior of your teammates."

The prince glanced to the door where the pilots had exited. He shrugged. "I can't say I blame them."

"But they shouldn't blame you either. They act like everything that they don't like is your fault. Don't start thinking like they do, Keith." With a clap on his shoulder, Coran rose and said, "I'll see you in Control in just a few minutes."

"Yeah, I'll be there shortly." Keith glanced at the largest of the pilots. The guy was still eating. Finishing his toast and juice, Keith headed out of the dining hall with Hunk right behind him.

Catching up with the prince, Hunk said, "I heard what the old guy said to you."

Keith looked over to him but didn't stop walking.

With a shrug of his shoulders, he said, "He's right you know." With a fleeting smile, Hunk added, "Show us what you've got, Keith." Then with a surprising burst of energy, Hunk took off at a jog down the corridor.

_Keith. He just called me Keith. Not Prince or Prince Keith._ Smiling at the words of the large man, he took off after him. As long as he was close behind him, he'd beat Hunk to his Lion and he wouldn't be the last to show up for practice.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Voltron or any of its characters. I did borrow some scenes and dialog from episdoe 4 of DotU. Not infringement intended, just wanted the story to follow along the lines of DotU. If WEP is reading my story and would like for me to change it, I would be happy to... well, not happy, but I'd do it if you wanted me to... because, as I already said, I don't own this, WEP does.

**Rating/Setting: **Rating is T. Setting is DotU but is definitely AU – see challenge info below.

**Response to Cheetoy's KAEX Challenge "A Royal Twist."** "What if Keith was the surviving Arusian Royal Prince and Allura was an Earth born hometown girl turned GA Starpilot? How will the prim and proper Prince deal with falling for a strong-willed GA pilot of no royal line? Sadly, Nanny and Coran insist on a Princess for our dear Kogane... But how shall they deal with the Drule Prince(ss)? Can they find their Happy Ever After?"

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><p><strong>Chapter Twelve<strong>

Lotor drummed his fingers on the armrest of the command chair. He toggled a few switches there out of boredom. The wraithlike witch known only as Haggar stood next to him leaning on her staff with her eyes closed. She had been like this since they had started the journey. When he had approached her earlier in her lab, she had not been surprised by his revelations. She had only told him to ready the ship and be prepared to leave within the hour. A short while later, he had watched as a small coffin-ship was loaded into the hold of the Doomsday. The ship was equipped with a magnifying ray and the robeast would make short work of whatever structures the Arusians had managed to build in the last eight years. Hearing a noise he looked to the side at the witch. Was she… hissing?

"Sssssssssss – argh!" Haggar grunted out as she spun to face the Prince of Doom. "Something is wrong Prince Lotor. I can't get a feel for what is going on on Arus. I should be able to see something…"

Lotor waved a hand at her showing his lack of concern. "It's of no matter, witch. We have the robeast. Even if they do have Voltron, he hasn't been used in decades. They won't even know what to do with him." His yellow feline eyes narrowed as he looked to the viewscreen showing the space ahead of them. "However, I want the Prince of Arus either dead or captured. I won't have him laying claim to what is mine."

Haggar didn't argue with Lotor that Arus was currently Prince Keith's. Zarkon had failed to leave a force to keep the inhabitants under his control. Without that force, the planet was basically abandoned by Doom and the royal house of Kogane still maintained the right to rule.

The witch had watched Lotor go through documents and photos looking for a picture of the Arusian prince as a child. He was supposed to be twelve at the time of the attack. They wanted a photo to have to compare and confirm that they had killed or captured the right man. However, both Haggar and Lotor were irritated when both the digital database and Haggar's visions failed to produce a viable picture or image. It seemed that the deceased King and Queen of Arus had kept a close eye on the young prince and after age five, there were little photos to be found of him. The ones they did find only showed him from the back or profile. This gave them the knowledge that he had dark brown or black hair and dark brown eyes. The spies had told them that the prince stood around six foot and was athletically built. Not a lot to go on, but enough until they were able to gather new photos and images of him. If what the spies said was true, Prince Keith would not be able to hide his identity much longer.

It wouldn't be long now before they'd land on Arus and they'd have their answers and their pound or two of flesh.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Lions were all hovering in the air, hundreds of feet above the open plain. Keith once again described the formation that they should follow when Sven said to form Voltron. It seemed rather simple for such a complex structure.

"And you're sure, Keith, that we can't be shot out of the sky while the Lions are doing all their reconfiguring?" Hunk asked this question for the third time.

Keith let out a deep breath as he said, "For the third time, Hunk, the Lions tell me that we'll be in some sort of protective bubble and can't be harmed at that time. Don't ask me to explain more because I can't. Maybe when you experience it, you'll be able to explain it to us." By the time he ended, Keith's tone was exasperated.

Coran's voice broke into the feed, "Um, Lt. Garrett, please remember to address the Prince as Prince, Prince Keith, your High-"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. I'll try to remember. Does this mean I can ask Prince Keith the question one more time?" Hunk asked jokingly.

A chorus of "no's" came over the feed.

"Okay, okay, but you'll be happy I asked when the time comes."

"Enough of the chatter." Sven's voice seemed to be all business now. His image appeared on all their screens. "Let's form Voltron."

The Lions leapt into action following the pattern described by Keith. Then his voice rang out over the com feed. "Ready to form Voltron." His hands automatically went to the controls necessary to operate the interlock sequence. "Activate interlock. Dyna-therms connected. Infra-cells up. Mega-thrusters are go." He could see on his monitors the electrical current dancing around the Lions as their legs contracted and panels on the bodies altered. Without any seeming volition of his own, he began what was almost a narration to what was occurring. "Form feet and legs. Form arms and torso. And I'll form the head."

The giant mecha dropped hundreds of feet through the air as its huge metal arms crossed over its chest. As the Lions all let out roars, the giant robot stood straight and tall in the air above the plain. Cries of celebration came over the channel; everyone was ecstatic that the process had worked. The command structure was no small problem, but the fact that Voltron was indeed resurrected, was no small matter.

The celebration was cut short as Coran's voice cut through the air waves. "Commander, there seems to be an incoming ship."

"Can you identify it?"

"Not yet, but it should be within visible range of the new satellites soon." Coran thanked Alfor silently for also having the foresight to have satellites sent into orbit with the emergence of the new castle. While they weren't the most modern, Arus hadn't had any type of ability to sent intergalactic messages or know when ships were incoming in almost a decade.

Sven's image appeared on the vid screens. "Let's disengage. No need to announce that we have Voltron."

As the Lions disengaged and reverted to their single Lion form, Sven spoke again over the com. "I think we should limit contact to audio and we don't let on that Prince Keith is in the Black Lion."

"What?" Allura asked.

"Prince Keith, what is your middle name?"

"Akira."

Sven nodded. "The Prince will just be Akira if we need to call his name at all. We'll also let them believe that I'm in the Black Lion. If they're friendly, there's no harm. If they're not friendly, then we don't need to put a target on the prince. Any unfriendlies would want to kill or capture him." Sven was serious in tone and demeanor. "Does everyone understand?"

"Yes, Commander," came the response… the response from all the Lions except for Black.

"Your Highness, do you understand?"

"I don't like it but I understand and I won't say anything to indicate my status." Keith's voice was resigned.

Coran breathed an audible sigh of relief that could be heard over the coms. "Thank you, Commander." Turning his eyes to the satellite readings, he gasped, "It's a battle cruiser from Doom! Damn it, there must still be spies on Arus."

"Captain, their incoming trajectory indicates that will come in behind you on course for the castle." Lance was all about his job. He itched to be out there, but since he couldn't be, he needed to provide the best information he could to the team.

"Got it, Lance." Sven said as the Lions all altered position to face the incoming ship. "Coran, would you mind doing the honors of hailing the ship?"

"Of course, Commander." Coran's hand moved over the console and then he looked at the vid screen and said, "Incoming vessel, this is the Castle of Lions. Identify yourself." Coran watched as his screen flickered from black to gray and white to the image of a Drule.

"Castle of Lions, this is Crown Prince Lotor of Doom and future ruler of Arus. I have come to see if the rumors are true."

Coran's eyes narrowed. "You have no business here, Prince Lotor. Doom left our planet eight years ago. There is nothing more for you to plunder here."

A smirk appeared on the prince's face, "Ah, but I see before me a gleaming new castle. To be sure there are things inside that might appeal to me." His voice turned angry as he said, "I also see that you went against my father's wishes and brought back the Lions of Voltron."

"We have done nothing to you. Leave now and do not return."

Lotor's fist slammed down on the arm of the chair. "Do NOT dictate to me." Pointing a finger at the screen he said, "You will rue the day that you disregarded my father's orders." He was getting ready to end the transmission when Haggar leaned over to speak with him.

"Haggar." Coran whispered softly. It wasn't a good sign that the witch was with Prince Lotor. Between her and the battle cruiser, they could do a lot of damage to the planet.

Sitting back up in his chair, Lotor said, "We have heard that Prince Keith survived my father's attack. Is he there?"

There was no good answer to Lotor's question. "He is here but will not speak to you."

"Really," Lotor smiled. "Will not or can not? Is he too much of a coward?"

Keith's hands clinched on his controls. In just a moment, Sven's face appeared on a private channel. "Remember, Akira."

"I remember," Keith said through gritted teeth.

Lotor stared at the man on the screen. "Perhaps he will not because he is in one of the Lions?" Glancing at another screen that was out of view, Lotor said, "I think it's time we released you pet, Haggar."

An evil cackle sounded through the feed.

Lotor looked back to the screen and said, "Have the Prince surrender to me and I might consider sparing the castle and its inhabitants. If he doesn't, then all your lives are forfeit."

The screen went blank.

Coran instantly opened a connection with the Lions. "We can't believe anything he says."

Keith's eyes were shut tight as he answered, "I know." His convictions were going to be put to the test sooner than he thought. People would die this day. Drules. Possibly Arusians. Possibly one of the Alliance pilots he was flying with. He would have to deal with his actions later. Right now, trouble of some sort was heading their way.

The pilots all watched as a small ship shot from the cruiser. They had no chance to destroy it before it was hit by the magnifying ray. In moments, a monster of gargantuan proportions was descending through the air towards them. The creature was hideous in its looks. It had two arms and two legs but it also had a pair of pink bat-like wings on its back. Its skin was grayish in color, with pointed long ears, and huge eyes. Two large spikes stuck out the front of its chest and it carried a large silver sword in its right hand.

As the beast landed on the ground, Sven called out an order, "Let's jump."

All the Lions took a turn jumping at the large robeast but it swatted them away, sometimes knocking them into each other. Sven called for them to try again with the same results. This time the robeast also swung its sword which missed the Lions but cut through solid rock like butter.

"We need to form Voltron," Keith called out.

"It's too risky," Sven said.

"Trust me, Sven," Keith said. "This is what I was born to do."

As Sven had the Red Lion jump out of the way of a sword strike, he said, "Okay. Let's form Voltron."

The Lions shot into air but had not gone far when the robeast raised its arm and shot energy beams from the bracelet around its wrist. Five pods of energy surrounded the Lions and brought them tumbling hard back to earth.

"We've got to try again team," Sven called out as he righted himself in his seat.

The Lions all roared as they once again took to the sky. The robeast took aim again and fired another round of energy pods at the Lions. This time, the pilots fought through the discomfort and outlasted the energy pods.

As the energy dissipated, Keith said, "Get ready to assemble." Taking the team through the assembly process again, Voltron was soon descending to the plain to confront the robeast.

Sven didn't have time to give Keith orders as the robeast attacked. The prince had Voltron jump back out of the way of a sword strike and then he quickly lifted Green to catch the arm holding the blade with its mouth. Using the forward momentum of the robeast, Voltron flipped the monster onto its back hundreds of yards away.

Standing up, the robeast launched more energy pods at Voltron, surrounding him with tongues of flame. The mecha just stood as the energy wore off. This was the perfect time for Sven to say something, but so far, everything Keith had done was spot on. _Trust me_. That's what Keith had asked of him. Just how far though could Sven trust him? The moment of indecision came and went as he heard Keith call out to form the blazing sword.

The giant mecha launched into the air and the heads of Green and Red Lion met in a loud metallic clang that didn't seem to harm pilots or Lions. However, as the Lion heads pulled apart, it was truly a blazing sword that formed between them. The sword was raised in Red Lion's mouth and Voltron took off at a run across the plain toward the on-rushing robeast. Just before they met, Voltron leapt into the air and slashed the robeast from its left shoulder down through its torso and out its right side. The robeast raised its arms for a moment and opened its mouth in a silent scream before exploding. Volton stood to the side as the flames licked out from the disintegrating monster.

Keith was in some kind of zone as he turned Voltron to look at the battle cruiser in the sky. It was starting to leave and he launched Voltron to follow.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

During the battle, Lotor had been ranting at Haggar, berating her for a sub-standard robeast. Haggar had born it all with patience as she watched the battle. _How were they able to bring the mecha back so quickly? There was no way that anyone had flown the Lions before so how did they do it after only a couple of days? Were the sources wrong?_ And then she felt it, the slightest hint of magic. It was nowhere near the power of her magic, but it was enough to cause a disturbance in the power eddies. Whoever it was did not know how to disguise their magic…

Haggar turned to the Drule prince and interrupted his ranting. "I'm going to take a ship and go to the planet. I'll contact you about returning for me."

"Are you crazy, old witch? Don't you see that Voltron is fast approaching us?" Lotor gestured wildly at the vid screen. "Do something. Stop him!"

"Let me go and I will stop him. But you will need to go to your fastest speed to escape him." Haggar said in a swirl of dark robes. She left the bridge of the ship in turmoil, but her mind was on the magic she sensed. It wasn't Voltron's magic. That she knew well. It was another. The royal line of Kogane possessed a small amount of magic. She would possess that magic and kill it's bearer at the same time. She remembered with fondness when King Alfor had died and the magic was released from him. His magic served as fuel for her and his son's magic would do the same. She was powerful, but she could always use more power. Her pace to the shuttle bay never slowed as she moved with speed belying her unfathomable age.

Lotor watched the mage as she left the bridge. Turning to his helmsman and engineer, he said, "You heard her, full speed and evasive maneuvers!" Lotor was mapping out his route to an escape pod when Voltron's sword landed a glancing blow on the cruiser. "Agh!" he screamed as he fell to the floor. "Return fire! Target his eyes!"

As the cruiser fired into the face of Voltron, the mecha slowed down to deflect some of the shots. It was at this time that Haggar's ship launched from the shuttle bay.

Keith had been stunned at the brightness of the firepower directed at Voltron's eyes. The power momentarily blacked out his visuals and left him blinded. When they came back on, he saw a small shuttle leave the mother ship and head back to Arus. Turning back to the cruiser, he went to follow it when Coran's voice sounded on the com. "Akira! Return to base. Do not. I repeat do not follow the Drule cruiser. We don't know if they have other ships in the area."

"But they'll report back about Voltron." Keith said with concern.

Sven's voice sounded over the com. "He's right, Akira, we need to go back. They will have already sent out a message of their initial findings. It's standard Drule procedure."

Keith had Voltron hover in the air for a few minutes before moving to an upright position to descend. "We'll disengage once we're in the atmosphere, but then I want to investigate that shuttle that came to the planet."

"I think that Commander Holgersson has that authority, _Akira_." Lance's image showed up on the monitor of the Lions.

Keith's eyes narrowed and he gritted his teeth. Lance really knew how to get on his nerves. "I was just say-"

"That's enough." Sven's voice was calming as he interrupted. "It is my decision to make, and I agree with Akira. We'll disengage and follow the radar trail left by the craft." Something was wrong about this, but a Drule ship landing on the planet couldn't be ignored. He prayed they weren't walking into a trap.

* * *

><p><em><strong>The robeast battle with the LionsVoltron was taken from DotU Episode 4 "The Missing Key." I wanted to use that sequence as close to the original as possible to keep up with my somewhat canon/definitely AU story.**_


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Voltron or any of its characters. I did borrow some scenes and dialog from episdoe 6 of DotU. Not infringement intended, just wanted the story to follow along the lines of DotU. If WEP is reading my story and would like for me to change it, I would be happy to... well, not happy, but I'd do it if you wanted me to... because, as I already said, I don't own this, WEP does. Also took a story element from the Voltron/Robotech crossover comic. Not plot, just an element that went well with my story. ; -)

**Rating/Setting: **Rating is T. Setting is DotU but is definitely AU – see challenge info below.

**Response to Cheetoy's KAEX Challenge "A Royal Twist."** "What if Keith was the surviving Arusian Royal Prince and Allura was an Earth born hometown girl turned GA Starpilot? How will the prim and proper Prince deal with falling for a strong-willed GA pilot of no royal line? Sadly, Nanny and Coran insist on a Princess for our dear Kogane... But how shall they deal with the Drule Prince(ss)? Can they find their Happy Ever After?"

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Thirteen<strong>

In just a few moments, the pilots were exiting their Lions. Having landed near the edge of a forested area, Sven surveyed the area with his blaster drawn. They all moved with blasters at the ready toward the edge of the trees and the small shuttle parked there. Sven called them to a halt and ordered everyone to stay back except for himself and Hunk. They would investigate the shuttle and then signal the others if it was safe or not.

Keith waited impatiently. He understood Sven's orders and he knew they made sense, but he didn't like having to wait. Finally, Hunk called for them to join up at the shuttle.

Sven looked over the team, "Since nothing showed up on the Lions' sensors, we'll split up and see if we can find any sign of who, or what, came out of that shuttle. Akira and I will be together, Pidge and Allura will be together, and Hunk will stay here and monitor the shuttle and see if there's anything we overlooked." Looking at Hunk, Sven continued, "Keep your com open just to be safe. We don't want anyone sneaking back and flying off in the shuttle until we know why they landed in the first place."

Hunk nodded his agreement and then the two teams went off in separate directions. The shuttle probably held four people at the most, but they didn't know and it would be safer in pairs than going out as individuals.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Haggar watched from inside the forest. The smoky green sphere of swirling molecules was held in place by her gnarled hands. Inside its ever-changing pattern, the images of the Voltron team were before her. She watched them carefully. The magic was with them, or more specifically, with one of them. She had watched the Lions land and had noted that the one wearing red and white had gotten out of the Black Lion. That pilot was most likely, the commander of the team. However, she had noticed that the Black Lion pilot had waited back near the Lions while the pilots with black and orange accents went to investigate the shuttle. If the magic was in one of the Lion pilots, it would be with the son of Alfor. She couldn't imagine the Crown Prince of Arus being allowed to go investigate the shuttle. So now she was in a quandary as she watched. Seeing the pilots of the Red and Black Lions move off together, she cackled with glee. It has to be one of them. They were both of similar build and age. The fact that they both had black hair complicated matters more as the Crown Prince was supposed to be raven-haired with eyes almost as dark. The coloring of the helmet visor made both sets of eyes look equally dark. She would have to confront them both and then decide.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Moving along the edge of the tree line, Sven and Keith looked for likely spots that the interlopers could have taken into the forest. They had tried several small openings in the trees and brush, but they had all appeared to be dead ends. They now stood in front of an opening that they could enter almost abreast. It was a game trail that the shuttle occupants could have used. When Keith went to enter the forest, Sven took his arm.

"Wait, Akira, let me go first." Seeing the prince's hesitancy, Sven added, "Watch my back, we don't know how many there are or where they are."

The prince gave a curt nod of acceptance and waited while Sven stepped onto the trail. Raising his blaster, Keith fell into step behind his commander. Looking around, it was hard to determine if a person or persons had been on the trail recently. About forty yards into the forest, Keith began wondering how far they would go before turning back. Just as Sven raised his arm to check in on his com, a blue cat darted out the underbrush. Both men pointed blasters at the feline as Keith whispered, "Haggar."

Sven didn't even take his eyes off the car as he responded, "Are you sure?"

"It's her cat; I'm sure." Keith knew from stories and eye witness accounts by Arusians of the dark witch associated with the King of Doom and the blue cat that was her companion. It was thought that the cat was as evil as she was. Turning so that he was back to back with Sven, he said, "Even if she's alone, we won't be able to take her."

"I agree. I'll radio Allura and Pidge to come find us."

A cackle sounded from all around them. "That won't be necessary." Dropping her cloaking spell, Haggar stood about fifteen yards in front of Sven. Keith spun around to stand beside him and aimed his blaster at the witch as well.

"Alarm," Sven whispered to Keith as he fired off a couple of blaster shots. The shots were misdirected by Haggar but it gave Keith a chance to press the alarm on his com unit.

The witch took a step forward and looked at them with pupiless yellow eyes. "I had just wanted to kill the prince, but I am happy to take out an Alliance officer as well."

Before she could raise her staff, Keith and Sven both fired some blaster shots as they backed down the path they come.

Cackling, Haggar said, "Do you want to play games, boys? Well, I can play…"

Then Sven and Keith stared in amazement as suddenly there were multiple Haggars circling round them. Which was the original? Which witch could kill them? Sven holstered his blaster as the multiple witches circled them and removed the lazon sword that hanging from his belt. Igniting the blade, he watched. Closing his eyes, he crossed himself, drawing on his faith. Bringing both hands to the hilt of the blade, he kept his eyes closed as the multiple witches in his mind's eye coalesced into one – the true witch.

Keith had fired a couple of shots at the witch's images but to no avail, in fact he'd been struck by a couple of blasts from her staff. Glancing at Sven, he saw the ignited blade and the commander's closed eyes. Suddenly afraid, Keith said, "What are you doing, Sven?"

Still deep in thought with his eyes still closed, Sven didn't speak to the prince but to the evil witch. "Now you will taste my magic, witch!" He called out as he rushed toward one of the images. "I can sense your true self!" His sword struck her staff but did no damage. The forgotten blue cat jumped from the shadows, biting Sven on his neck through his uniform. Sven cried out and jumped back. The cat fell off of the pilot as another shot fired from Haggar's staff, this time felling the commander.

Keith watched it all frozen in place. It had all happened so fast, he had thought he was ready, but he wasn't. Now Sven lay bleeding on the ground. Where did the blood come from? The cat couldn't have done that. It had to be something the witch had done. The prince looked from the groaning pilot on the ground to the cloak-draped hag that was moving slowly toward him. His blaster dropped from nerveless fingers as he felt something surge inside him….

An evil smile spread across Haggar's face. "I hadn't decided which of you was the prince, but I know now he's lying on the ground slowly bleeding to death." Seeing the blank look in the pilot's eyes as she walked closer, she continued. "The Alliance must be having trouble with its training program because you aren't command material." Haggar looked back to the fallen pilot and let her gaze linger on him for a moment as she said, "His magic wasn't strong enough." Hearing a crackle of energy, Haggar turned surprised eyes back to the standing pilot.

"Well, maybe mine is." Keith stood with his hands at his sides. Both hands had blue fire arcing from finger to finger.

Hissing, Haggar stepped back as she took in the pilot that was no longer frozen in fear. She looked at his fingers that were still arcing fire. _How much power does he have? Could he hold the power belonging to the Sorcerer of Arus? Could that magic have been reborn in this prince?_ At that moment, Allura, Hunk and Pidge could be heard coming up the path quickly behind Keith. The witch's eyes narrowed as the prince lifted his hand in her direction.

Keith didn't know what he was doing, but he lifted his hand and pointed at the witch. All the frustration and anger welled up in him and he sent forth a burst of energy from his hand.

Haggar knew he was untried and untested, not knowing how to wield his new-found power. She was ready and shielded herself as the energy washed over her harmlessly. The witch watched as the prince crumpled to the ground; spent from the energy he had released. She wished she had time to capture or kill him, but the other pilots were too close and she couldn't survive against that many blasters. With a last glance at the prince she turned and fled, her cloak billowing behind her. _At least they no longer have enough pilots to form Voltron._

Bursting into small clearing, Allura, Hunk, and Pidge had blasters drawn. Allura looked to Pidge and said, "Check the area ahead to see if they've left the area. Hunk, we'll check on Akira and Sven." Hunk nodded to her as Pidge took off down the path.

Hunk went over to Sven and began to assess his commander's injuries while Allura knelt beside Keith. The prince looked dazed as he looked up at her.

"Careful… Haggar…"

Eyes opening wide in alarm, Allura pulled out her blaster that she had holstered and lifted her com to her lips. "Pidge. Akira says it's Haggar. Do not try to engage. Come back to our location." As she turned off the com, she muttered, "We're sitting ducks here." Looking over the prince, she couldn't see any visible injuries. That was either very good or very bad and she didn't know which at the moment. Hearing noise in the brush ahead, she raised her blaster and waited. In just a moment, Pidge bounded out of the trees and Allura breathed a sigh of relief. "Keep watch!" She called to him.

Keith placed a hand on her arm. He was hoarse when he spoke, but his words were clear. "I'm fine. Sven got the worst of it."

Nodding, Allura stood up and walked over to Hunk while placing a call to Castle Control. Kneeling next to Hunk she said, "Control, we're going to need a shuttle and medical assistance."

"I'm on it," Lance said over the com.

Coran's voice was hesitant as he asked, "Is it, is it Akira?"

Giving a quick glance back to the prince, she saw that he had managed to sit up and remove his helmet. He was rubbing his head but otherwise looked okay. "No, Coran. I believe that Akira has no serious injuries. It's the… it's the commander."

Silence came over the device. It was a tough situation. While Coran was glad it wasn't Keith, he didn't wish any harm on the Voltron Commander. "Understood. Lt. McClain has left to get a medic and the shuttle. I'm afraid we don't have a regular doctor on staff. A situation that I need to remedy immediately." Coran sank into the chair in front of the console. "How is the commander?"

Allura looked to Hunk.

Hunk didn't look away from Sven as he answered, "It looks like something bit him on the neck and he's bleeding from his nose, mouth, and chest. I'm not sure what happened, but there does look to be some type of burn marks on his uniform. His breathing is ragged and his pulse is rapid. The commander hasn't spoken or shown any signs of consciousness."

"Burn marks?" Coran asked. "How-"

Allura broke in, "Akira said that it was Haggar." She heard an indrawn breath and a hiss.

"Haggar was on Arus?" Coran asked.

"It appears so." Allura waited for more but Coran said nothing.

Coran sat back. Haggar. On Arus. _What had happened? How was Keith still alive? Would the commander live? Heavens above… with the commander out of commission for the time being, that meant Lt. McClain was in charge of the team. _He closed his eyes and prayed for many things.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Part of the scene with Haggar, Sven, and Keith was taken from DotU, episode 6: 'The Right Arm of Voltron.' No infringement intended. Only used it to keep the story "in line" as it were. The 'Sorcerer of Arus' was mentioned in the RobotechVoltron crossover comic. It also said that Alfor had magic. So why wouldn't his child have magic?**_


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

Keith sat on the edge of the bed in Med Bay. The medic had just left him. He only had a few bruises and was curiously suffering from a chemical imbalance associated with exhaustion. The medic was at a lost to explain it, and Keith didn't volunteer the information about his magical outburst. So now, he was now receiving an IV to help restore his body's natural balance. The medic said he'd be done in about an hour. He expected the team and Coran at any time to get his complete story.

The prince thought back to what had happened. _I should have done more…_ He looked up to see Lance, Allura, and Coran enter the room. Looking behind him, he didn't see the two other team members.

Coming to a stop, Lance closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "They're with the medic and Sven; just in case in he wakes up," he said answering the unasked question in the prince's eyes. He could feel Coran hovering behind. He had completely blown his cool outside Sven's room when he learned of the swelling on the brain and internal hemorrhaging. It wasn't his injuries that caused his ire, but the fact the prince had bruising and a chemical imbalance. Lance knew that Sven would do his best to take the brunt of any assault, but this? This was absurd. He had attempted to storm out of the room when Hunk and Allura restrained him. While they talked to him, Coran had as well. While he wasn't the advisor's biggest fan, he did make sense. _I AM currently in command of this team. I have to think things through. _That's what he was doing now as silence reigned along tension in the room.

Keith never took his eyes off of McClain. This man that he'd butted heads with a couple of times now was in charge of the Alliance team. How were they going to work together? How could Lance forgive him for what had happened to Sven? Finally, after a minute of silence, Keith spoke, "I should have done more. I froze." He words were quietly whispered and fraught with guilt and grief.

Dropping his hand and opening his eyes, Lance calmly said, "What the hell happened out there?"

Coran stepped up and said, "Now, Lieutenant-"

Keeping his eyes on Lance, Keith carefully stood, the IV line hanging from his arm. "No, Coran, it's okay. He has a right. They all have a right to know." He then told them what happened from his vantage point, taking care to look at all of them during his recount. "I don't know how Sven did it. He did something and knew which of them was real and which were illusions. I shot, but it was never at the real Haggar. She knew there was magic around and that it belonged to the Prince of Arus. The problem was she had determined that Sven was the prince. When he deduced where her true self was, she felt that she had been justified in her assumption and struck him down after her cat bit him." For the first time, Keith looked away. Training his eyes on the slow drip from the IV, he continued, "Figuring she was right and that the pilot she had just blasted was the prince, she told me that the Alliance must be slipping because I wasn't command material." His voice grew quiet, "Then she looked at Sven and said his magic wasn't enough…" A moment of silence passed and then Keith continued, "I had felt a tingling of sorts as Sven fought Haggar, but I didn't know what it was. When she made that comment… I knew." He turned back to face them. "It was magic. I could feel it and see it on my fingertips. I pointed at her and released the energy."

Allura spoke up, "But what happened to her? Was it not enough? We found you on the ground, barely able to talk or walk."

"She was ready and had some kind of shield up. I couldn't control the magic and it all went out at once." Keith looked away again as he sat down. "I was completely spent and collapsed. I think the only reason she didn't finish us off was because you were coming up the path." The prince shrugged, "You know the rest." Hollow eyes turned to them. "He's dying because she thought he was me. I should have done more."

Coran moved over to put a hand on Keith's shoulder. He felt horrible for the young prince, but his words would mean nothing. The only absolution he would accept would be from the Commander's friends. If they wouldn't give it, then he didn't know what would happen to the prince. Haggar now knew of Keith's power, and it seemed that it was more than any recent monarch. It wasn't something that she or Zarkon would ignore. Keith was in more danger now than ever.

Staring at the prince, Lance stood like a statue. He believed every word. There was no doubt that things occurred like the prince told. Sven would have done exactly that. The team knew that Sven was sensitive to mystical things. More than likely, any one of them would have been in Keith's position. Could he have acted differently? Maybe, maybe not. Faster perhaps, but if you couldn't see the enemy, you couldn't do much. His reason told him these things but his heart said that if it had been him there instead of the prince, this wouldn't have happened. He, Lance, would have been able to save his friend. He turned and left the room.

Allura stared at the back of the Lieutenant as he left and then looked back at the prince. She saw defeat cross his face before he lowered his head, allowing his dark hair to curtain his face from her. Glancing over to Coran, she saw the devastation on his face. No. This can't be. Lance has to see that the prince did the best he could. He was untrained, but he did what he could. None of us could have done more. Allura turned and rushed for the door. Bursting into the hallway, she saw Lance just a few doors down. His right forearm was against the wall and his head lay against it. All the fight went out of her as she walked toward her hurting friend.

Lance heard her coming. He knew she was coming to tell him he was wrong about the prince. She was right. "I know he couldn't have done more." Hearing the footsteps stop, he continued, "I never signed up to be the leader of this team. I was supposed to be Sven's second who rarely got the opportunity to take command." Spinning so his back was against the wall, he turned his head to look at her. "What if the Lion won't accept me? Doom will be coming now. How do we protect these people with only four Lions?" His eyes flickered to the room behind her. "How do we fight with the prince doubting himself?" His last words were spoken quietly.

Moving to the wall directly across from Lance, she leaned back. "The Lion will accept you. They want Voltron to be back. They want to protect Arus. If they want to do that, then Red will accept you. As for leading this team, you can do it. Just because you didn't want to, doesn't mean you can't." This time it was her eyes that went back to the only room with a light coming out of it. "As for the prince's confidence… I think you already know how to help that."

Lance turned his eyes to the room down the hall as well. "He has magic, Allura. Haggar will be back for him."

Their eyes met as they looked back at each other. "But we're not going to let her get him," Allura said.

"No. No we're not." Lance pushed away from the wall and straightened his jacket. It was time to be the leader, to rally his team, and take command. He would set the prince's mind at ease. It wouldn't be that easy to fix his emotional wounds from the attack, but it would be a start.

Allura watched Lance walk back to Prince Keith's room. After a moment's hesitation, he entered. She turned with a small smile to head toward Sven's room. The team would be all right. She just prayed that Sven would recover and share in the victories she felt would be coming….

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hunk, Pidge, and Allura stood around the Commander's bed. The medic had just told them that Sven would need to be sent to the medical facility on Ebb. They were the closest Alliance ally with the medical facilities that Sven would need. If the facilities there weren't enough, then the fleet would be able to pick him up from there and take him to wherever he needed to go. Allura's heart hurt at the news, but she knew that with the current staff, Sven wouldn't get the assistance he needed.

"I'll go contact Ebb and make arrangements to take the Commander there." Pidge shook his head and said, "With one of us flying the commander to Ebb, we will leave the team one Lion short of Voltron." He turned to look at Hunk and Allura, the look on his face belying his youth. He knew their greatest challenge would be to survive until the Lion pilot returned.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Voltron or any of its characters. I did borrow some scenes and dialog from episdoe 4 of DotU. Not infringement intended, just wanted the story to follow along the lines of DotU. If WEP is reading my story and would like for me to change it, I would be happy to... well, not happy, but I'd do it if you wanted me to... because, as I already said, I don't own this, WEP does.

**Rating/Setting: **Rating is T. Setting is DotU but is definitely AU – see challenge info below.

**Response to Cheetoy's KAEX Challenge "A Royal Twist."** "What if Keith was the surviving Arusian Royal Prince and Allura was an Earth born hometown girl turned GA Starpilot? How will the prim and proper Prince deal with falling for a strong-willed GA pilot of no royal line? Sadly, Nanny and Coran insist on a Princess for our dear Kogane... But how shall they deal with the Drule Prince(ss)? Can they find their Happy Ever After?"

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Fifteen<strong>

That evening, the team sat around the dining table. The spot where Sven had sat the night before was conspicuously empty. Discussion of who would fly the shuttle and when it would leave was the topic of the conversation. Or perhaps it was better described as a debate.

Lance sat with his arms crossed as Hunk, Pidge, and Allura all laid their cases out for why they should be the one to pilot the shuttle. Each one knew that whoever flew the shuttle was putting their life on the line to an extra degree. The shuttle had minimum weapons and would never hold out in a prolonged battle. They had made it to Arus because no one was expecting them. Most likely, Haggar knew how badly she had wounded the pilot and the Drules would be on alert to any craft leaving Arus airspace. Finally, Lance raised a hand and said, "Enough. Each one of you is capable and you each make a good case, but I've made my decision."

Before Lance could continue, Keith said, "Can I speak, Lieutenant?"

Lance and the team turned to the prince in surprise while Coran stiffened in his chair. The prince had barely said anything to them during the meal. Lance had told them that his talk with the guilt-ridden prince had gone well but that he still bore a heavy burden from the attack.

"You can speak, as long as you don't say you want to fly it," Lance said half-jokingly. He wouldn't put it past Prince Keith to want to fly the shuttle in an effort to redeem himself.

A rueful smile crossed the prince's handsome features as he looked back down to his plate. "I know well that Coran would forbid it and that you would never allow me to do it either." Keith looked back up and saw that Lance was getting ready to defend his stance. "And you'd be right." He watched as the lieutenant looked at him now with confusion. "I don't know anything about flying shuttles off-planet and if we were caught…" Keith closed his eyes for a moment and then reopened them. "So, no, I wasn't going to volunteer to fly the shuttle, but I do have a suggestion." Seeing Lance's nod of encouragement he said, "I want you to secure the shuttle to the back of one of the Lions. I know shuttles have magnetic couplings that should do the job. Attaching the shuttle to a Lion would give you twice the speed of the shuttle and offensive capabilities."

Lance put his hand to his chin as he looked at the prince thoughtfully.

Leaning over to the prince, Coran said, "But Keith, allowing them to take a Lion off-planet would-"

"Would what, Coran? Leave us one Lion short of Voltron? We'd be in that situation anyway and for a longer amount of time. They might not come back?" Keith looked from his mentor back to the team. "I don't believe they'd do that. They wouldn't abandon us or their team." Looking back to Coran, he saw that his advisor had sat back in his chair. "So, what do you think, Lieutenant?" The prince looked back at his commander.

"I think that is a brilliant idea. With that in mind, I think Hunk is the perfect choice to fly Sven to Ebb." Lance watched his team's reactions. Keith seemed to relax when his plan was accepted. Hunk was beaming with pride. Allura and Pidge looked downcast though they accepted the decision. Looking to the youngest member, he said, "Pidge, you know we need you here more than ever to help us get the castle up to full speed with the systems." His decision regarding Allura would not be as accepted as Pidge's reason… at least not by the beautiful pilot. "Allura, you know what the reports say. Prince Lotor has a thing for beautiful blondes."

"What?" Keith asked. He didn't know a lot about Zarkon's children and this seemed important. "What about Lotor?"

Lance cut his eyes to the prince and back to the glowering pilot in front of him. "Lotor's mother, as you probably know, was Arusian and said to be a beautiful blonde with blue eyes. Just like Allura. On Lotor's raids, he often takes blondes for his harem. What happens to them there, no one knows but I think we can all guess." He watched as a blush climbed Allura's neck to rest on her cheeks.

"The likelihood of getting caught in Blue Lion is very small," Allura said as her chin jutted out.

Lance nodded. "True, but why take the chance when Hunk is equally skilled as a pilot." He couldn't resist a snicker as he glanced at the Yellow Lion pilot. "And while he is quite a looker, I don't think he's Lotor's type." Several chuckles could be heard around the table, but none came from Allura. Lance leaned across the table and took her hand in his. "I'm not doing this because of your skills or just because I'm trying to protect you as a woman. I'm doing it, because just like the prince, you'd suffer more than any of the rest of us if you were captured. As commander, I have to make the best decisions for my team." Lance let go of her hand and leaned back. "I hope you can respect that."

Allura nodded. She didn't like the decision but she understood it. Standing, she said, "I'm going to call it a night. I'll see you all in the morning."

All of the men watched her leave.

Keith turned back to Lance. "Is what you said about Lotor true?"

Grimacing, Lance said, "Every word. None of the girls have ever returned, so we don't truly know what happens."

The prince looked at the door where Allura had exited. They would be fighting Doom a lot now. The Drule prince was sure to see her. And if he saw her, Keith had no doubt that the Drule would want her. His blood burned a little at the thought and he felt the magic surge slightly within him. He closed his eyes tightly. Was it the thought of Allura being in the grasp of that filthy prince that set his magic off? Unsure, Keith decided he needed to visit his father again tonight. The king had never said anything about his magic having the capability it had shown today. He needed to know more about it… and more importantly, how to control it. Opening his eyes, he saw that everyone was finishing up. Not wanting to cause any questions, he waited to exit the dining hall with everyone else.

Just a short time later, he was in the crypt. "Father," he called out and watched as the glowing lights coalesced once again in the form of his father, the king.

"My son."

"Why didn't you tell me about my magic and how to control it? If I had known, maybe I could have done more to protect Sven." Keith didn't mean to sound accusatory, but it came out in his tone none-the-less.

"I didn't tell you because I didn't know. I told you that each monarch has a different level of magic." Alfor looked intently at his son. "I didn't see your magic today, but I felt it and I felt Haggar's. She knows now that you possess a higher level of magic than any recent monarch."

"What does that matter, Father?"

"Because, my son, Haggar and Zarkon will be concerned that the magic of the Sorcerer may have been reborn in you." His gaze on his son was intent. Keith had been through so much and had so much more to do to restore Arus. The magic would be a blessing or a curse. King Alfor was afraid because he had no idea which it would be, but he was almost certain of one thing, "I think they may be right, Keith."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_On planet Doom, in the King's private chambers…_

"What do you mean the Prince of Arus has magic? Of course he does, he's the monarch. It is with him as it was with all who have been before him." Zarkon was irritated that Haggar was acting like this was a revelation. "Excuses. That's what you and Lotor are giving me."

"But sire! Let me show you what happened." Moving her hands in an intricate fashion in front of her, Haggar soon conjured a swirling ball of grayish-green mist. Closing her eyes, she said a few words and the events from earlier in the day replayed in front of the king. Hearing him hiss in anger, she dissipated the misty vessel.

"The Sorcerer of Arus," Zarkon hissed between his teeth. "He has been reborn."

"It does look possible, my King. However, you know that with this power comes a tendency towards dark magic. Several of the monarchs who possessed the power of the Sorcerer where turned to their own pursuits and pleasures. If we can turn him to our side…"

"How do you propose to do that, witch?"

"I don't think I can do it alone, but I think that he could be persuaded." Haggar cackled.

"Persuaded by whom, Haggar? I tire of your games." The irritation in Zarkon's voice was now fully apparent.

Bowing slightly in obeisance, she said, "Why, by your own beautiful daughter, sire."

Zarkon threw back his head and laughed. "Do you think she'll agree?"

"Have you decided who your heir will be?" Haggar asked seriously.

Zarkon's eyes narrowed as he looked at the witch. "What has that to do with this?"

"If Merla were to bring the Arusian Prince and heir to the throne to heel as her husband, would you consider it? Think of it sire, Merla wed to the Sorcerer of Arus and the holder of the knowledge of Voltron…."

"To have that power at my disposal… yes, yes, it would be worth considering." Turning his yellow eyes to hers, he said, "They would have to be watched closely as they would be very powerful together."

Bowing again, Haggar said, "Indeed, sire, but I think you and I are a match for them."

Loud laughter erupted in the room again. "Summon Merla for me. I do not think that she has yet left with the Death fleet."

"As you wish, Sire." Haggar backed away from the king and went to summon the princess. Yes, having the Sorcerer of Arus near would feed her own black magic and keep her powerful. Now, to convince the princess and turn the Prince of Arus. She enjoyed a challenge. Cackling softly to herself, she exited the King's chambers.


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Voltron or any of its characters. I did borrow some scenes and dialog from episdoe 4 of DotU. Not infringement intended, just wanted the story to follow along the lines of DotU. If WEP is reading my story and would like for me to change it, I would be happy to... well, not happy, but I'd do it if you wanted me to... because, as I already said, I don't own this, WEP does.

**Rating/Setting: **Rating is T. Setting is DotU but is definitely AU – see challenge info below.

**Response to Cheetoy's KAEX Challenge "A Royal Twist."** "What if Keith was the surviving Arusian Royal Prince and Allura was an Earth born hometown girl turned GA Starpilot? How will the prim and proper Prince deal with falling for a strong-willed GA pilot of no royal line? Sadly, Nanny and Coran insist on a Princess for our dear Kogane... But how shall they deal with the Drule Prince(ss)? Can they find their Happy Ever After?"

**A/N:** For Cubbie... I think you'll like that there's a spark in this chapter... but still, it's just a spark. ; - ) And speaking of sparks, I hope I havent' bitten off more than I can chew with the whole Sorcerer of Arus element. Ugh! What was I thinking? *Shuffles papers desparately looking for answers.* This is why I'm usually a complete plotter! Stay tuned and see how I work my way out of the hole I have dug for myself. ;-)

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Sixteen<strong>

The next morning, Lance sat at the dining table sipping carefully on his dark roast coffee. Its bitter taste and heavy aroma assailed his senses as his mind still worked to process everything that happened yesterday. Due to what happened with Sven, they really hadn't talked much about what happened when they formed Voltron and fought the robeast. He really wished that he had had a chance to talk to Sven about his thoughts. It was obvious to him as an observer that Keith really called the shots once Voltron was formed. The lieutenant had to admit to himself that Keith had reacted perfectly to what had occurred.

Lance's thoughts returned to the image of Voltron holding the blazing sword high in the air with Red Lion's jaws clenched around the hilt. Since he was being honest with himself right now, he admitted that he was concerned with whether Red would accept him. That, more than Keith's ability, worried him most.

Hearing a plate rattle, Lance turned to find Hunk dropping into the chair next to him, his plate mounded over with breakfast foods. "You know, you can go back for seconds."

Hunk paused with a fork laden with eggs halfway to his mouth. "Who says I'm not going back for seconds?" Then the fork finished its trip to his mouth and went back to the plate to shovel some more.

Lance turned back to his coffee with a smile. Noise at the entry to the dining hall caught his attention and he saw Allura and Pidge enter. After gathering their plates, they sat across from him.

"Have you seen Prince Keith yet?" Allura asked Lance after glancing at the empty chair that the prince had sat in for past meals.

Taking another sip of coffee, Lance sat his cup down and shook his head no. "Haven't seen him. I think he's still dealing with what happened to Sven yesterday."

Barely were the words out of his mouth than Coran walked in. Getting only a cup of coffee for himself, he sat at his seat. All eyes were on him and Coran knew what they were thinking. "Prince Keith is out in Black Lion."

"What?" rang from several of the team members. Lance remained quiet, sipping his dark brew.

"He needed to get out. He said he thinks clearly in the Lions."

Pidge spoke up. "But isn't it dangerous for him to be out there unguarded?"

Coran looked thoughtful, "I think he's safe as long as he stays in his Lion. We would know of an approaching force and be ready." Frowning a little, Coran added almost more to himself, "That boy better stay in that Lion."

The meal continued in silence. All the morning diners had already been by Med Bay and knew that Sven was stable but pretty much unchanged. Hunk would be leaving within the hour to carry the wounded pilot to Ebb. He had already brought the Yellow Lion to the repair hanger at the back of the castle. The shuttle was attached and the mechanics were finishing up some last minute repairs to the shuttle in case they encountered a problem where the shuttle needed to detach and continue on its own. Just as the group was finishing the meal, one of the mechanics came in to say that all repairs were completed. Coran called to Med Bay and requested that the medical staff bring the Commander to the hanger.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Keith stood in the shadows as he watched Sven be loaded into the shuttle from the lift unit. The team and Coran were all gathered near Yellow Lion but he wasn't sure if he should join them. He didn't understand this sudden insecurity of his. Lance had told him that he couldn't have done anything more. But he had the magic and he could have… if he knew how to use it. King Alfor had been able to give him an understanding of the magic and how it worked but not how to use it. The King had never had access to the type of power that Keith had. Zarkon had also made sure that all those that knew about magical power and the royal court on Arus were killed. Perhaps he needed to find someone on another planet to learn from…

Allura saw something from the corner of her eye and turned her head. Keith. "I'm going to get Keith," Allura whispered to Lance.

Glancing to the entryway, Lance nodded and continued to listen as the medic updated them on the medical transport plan.

The prince watched as Allura walked toward him. He could leave and avoid her and the team, but he didn't.

Stopping in front of Keith, Allura brushed a strand of hair back over her ear as she looked over her shoulder at the group. Looking quizzically back at the prince, she asked, "Why haven't you come over? The medic is giving us the plan for Sven's transport."

An anxious look came into Keith's eyes as he looked past her to the group.

Putting her hands on her hips, the pretty lieutenant said, "Enough of this guilt. None of us blame you. It's time you stop blaming yourself. Now come on." Reaching out she took his hand and pulled him after her toward the group.

Keith only resisted for a moment and then he realized he liked the feel of her hand in his. In fact, he felt a surge… almost like when his magic was evident. But this wasn't magic. It was Allura. He could almost feel the heat in his face as he realized that he was really attracted to the Terran pilot. Keith didn't even realize they had stopped until Lance asked him a question.

"What? What was that?" Keith asked as he felt the heat in his face continue. He was twenty, almost twenty-one and blushing over a girl was ridiculous.

A slight smirk was Lance's face as he responded, "I was just asking if you had any questions for the medic. Everything seems to be in order."

Keith couldn't look at the lieutenant, but merely replied, "I'm sure that you have made sure everything is as it should be."

Lance glanced down to see that Allura and Keith were still holding hands. The smirk changed to a smile. "Yes, I think everything is as it should be."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Same day on Doom…_

Merla strolled into Haggar's lab and walked to a table cluttered with vials and beakers. Her fingers trailed across the table's surface and picked up a jar that had an unusually large eye in it. After staring at it a few moments, she put it back on the table and then casually turned and leaned back against the table edge. Her elbows rested on the obsidian top as she trained her eyes on the witch. "I don't care to be summoned, Haggar. What do you wish and does it have something to do with Father ordering the Death Fleet to remain in orbit?"

Stepping away from the small table that held her divination crystals, Haggar turned her yellow eyes upon the Drule princess. Merla was every bit as cunning, ruthless, and power hungry as her brother. However, she had something her brother did not – social skills. That is, unless you were a rude, crass leader who thought she was easy. In that case, her social skills turned into warrior skills.

"Your Father has a proposition for you."

"What is it? I thought I was to take the Death Fleet to the Elder system to subdue it." Merla's tone was harsh.

"If you desire to take the throne from your brother upon Zarkon's death, you would do well to listen, Princess." Haggar moved to look at a book on a nearby shelf. She waited for Merla to respond.

Knowing the witch wanted her to ask, made her NOT want to ask it. However, Haggar's bait was irresistible and she knew that the witch knew it too. "Speak on, Haggar."

_Ahhh, 'Haggar,' not, 'witch.' An improvement… for the moment_. "When your brother and I went to Arus, we found that they had indeed brought back Voltron. In addition, the Prince himself flies the main Black Lion." She watched Merla tilt her head as she listened. "While I was fighting one of the Alliance pilots, I discovered that Arusian Prince has inherited strong magical powers."

Merla stood up from the table with interest. "He has magic? How strong is it?"

"It is very strong. In fact, your father and I think he may be the next Sorcerer of Arus." Haggar watched the young woman closely and saw that she did not yet understand her part. "What I neglected to mention is that according to our records, the young prince is twenty. He will turn twenty-one in less than a year. The two of you are of age."

Tilting her chin up, Merla asked with a touch of defiance, "You aren't saying I should marry some sniveling fool of a prince are you? Defeat him and give him a taste of a Drule whip is what we should do." Merla crossed her arms across her chest.

Haggar smiled as she cackled, "Princess, I don't think even you would call the Crown Prince of Arus a sniveling fool. In fact, I think you might find him attractive." Moving to take her staff from against the wall, Haggar turned back to Merla. "But looks do not matter in this. Prince Keith has strong magical powers and he has the knowledge of Voltron. The combination of two with our current power and forces would make your father the most powerful of the Drule Kings and Queens. They would all bow to him… and eventually, you." Haggar placed both of her gnarled hands on the top of her staff and waited.

Uncrossing her arms, Merla stood straighter. "My father would name me his heir? Over Lotor?"

"The prince would be hard-pressed to find a match or conquest that could top a sorcerer almost as powerful as I who also controls the power of Voltron. Tell me, Princess, who would you name as your heir?" Haggar's smile stayed on her face as she watched a matching smile grow on the lips of the beautiful princess.

"I think there would be no choice but the obvious." Merla's smile faded as her brows drew together. "But how are we to get the prince to ally himself with us? I am sure that he hates Father for what he has done." Pacing across the room, she added, "I'm sure he's dying to get here and cut us to pieces with the mecha." Turning swiftly to Haggar, Merla asked, "Do you have a plan, Haggar?"

Walking past the princess toward the door, she gestured for the young woman to follow her. As they exited the room to go to Zarkon's chambers, Haggar said, "I do have a plan, Princess. And if all goes well, then everything will be just as it should."


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

**Rating/Setting: **Rating is T. Setting is DotU but is definitely AU – see challenge info below.

**Response to Cheetoy's KAEX Challenge "A Royal Twist."** "What if Keith was the surviving Arusian Royal Prince and Allura was an Earth born hometown girl turned GA Starpilot? How will the prim and proper Prince deal with falling for a strong-willed GA pilot of no royal line? Sadly, Nanny and Coran insist on a Princess for our dear Kogane... But how shall they deal with the Drule Prince(ss)? Can they find their Happy Ever After?"

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Seventeen<strong>

_Sometime after Hunk had departed for Ebb…_

Lance sat in the cockpit of Red Lion. He rubbed his hands on his thighs as if to wipe away perspiration. Sitting there, he looked around the cockpit. He had gone over the information that was in the computer, although there wasn't much as no one wanted anyone to steal information on the mecha that could be turned against it. But he had some information from the database and even more from his fellow pilots. "Talk to it." Lance said out loud. Shaking his head he thought, _the prince said to talk to it, but does it really know that I'm any different than Sven?_ Deciding to test things out, Lance took his key and inserted it into the locking mechanism. Nothing. Sighing, he removed the key and said, "Okay. I don't if you can hear me, but I'm Lt. Lance McClain." His tone changed as he continued, "Sven was hurt bad by that witch, Haggar. Hunk had to take him to Ebb. We're not sure if or when he'll be back." Closing his eyes, he leaned back against the headrest. "I need to be your pilot, Red. Your planet needs me. Keith needs me. Doom knows we're reactivated you. They'll be back and they'll destroy more of your planet and try to take or kill Keith." Lance opened his eyes. "I plan to protect him and Arus, but I need you to help me. Help me help him." _It's now or never_, he thought placing the key into the lock once again. A smile lit his face as the systems came to life. "That's what I'm talking about, baby." Keying his com system, he called out, "I'm a go guys. Red says I can fly."

"Didn't doubt it for a minute, Cap." Pidge said.

"Well, the Lion does live in a volcano and if anyone can understand your hot-headedness, it will be Red Lion," Allura joked as she appeared on his screen.

"Ha. Ha." Lance said as he took the Lion out of its fiery lair. Smirking at her he said, "Just remember that I'm your commanding officer, and," he paused for effect, "I got the blue uniform." He saw her brows draw together through her visor in irritation. It still bothered her that she had pink accents. He would be using this for some time to irritate his friend. "Okay team, tell all the tricks and things and I need to know." The team spent the next three hours practicing with the Lions and helping Lance become familiar with Red.

Hours passed like moments as they worked together to discover hidden abilities of the mecha Lions. Before they realized it, the officer working in Castle Control called them to return for lunch. Coran had shown some castle soldiers the basics of the control center. Soon, they would need to have formal training for a number of officers so they could assign shifts. But for now, Coran was the primary for the center. The current Control staff was small, but efficient.

When the team emerged from the raised dais, their spirits were high. Lance was enthusiastic over his Red Lion. Realizing the cost that they had paid for him to be in this position, he tamped his elation down. He prayed for Sven's return even if it meant he would not be able to fly. At least he would now be trained as a back-up. Pidge and Allura flanked him on either side as they headed to the dining hall. They were all smiling as they talked about the differences in the Lions.

Prince Keith walked a few paces back, smiling as well. He was coming to terms with what happened as was the team. It seemed that the pilots were trained to accept injuries to their comrades. They didn't have to like it, but they knew it could happen and were at least somewhat prepared to deal with the aftermath of attacks. It was something he wasn't trained for and he realized that it was something he needed to work on. Perhaps he needed to speak to Lance about having them give him some lessons that they learned at the Academy.

Allura laughed at something Lance said, and looked over her shoulder at Keith. She stopped as Lance and Pidge continued walking toward the dining hall. As Keith walked up to her, she locked her arm with his and smiled as she pulled him at a faster pace to join the other two.

As Keith walked alongside Lance, the Lieutenant turned and asked him a question. After Keith answered, Lance turned back to Pidge to ask another question. Keith's smile grew as he realized what the pilots were doing. He was a part of their team and no longer an intruder in their midst. This is what he was meant to do. It became clearer and clearer to him.

Entering the dining hall, Keith turned with a smile to speak to Allura who still had her arm locked with his. Before the prince could speak, they all stopped as they heard a very loud throat clearing. Looking toward the sound, they saw a somewhat petite in stature woman who was not so petite in girth. Hands were on the woman's hips and a scowl was on her face.

Lance looked from the fierce, short woman to the prince.

Keith's eyes were locked on Nanny Hilda. He knew that Lance was looking at him. Without taking his eyes off of Nanny, he said quietly, "Battle-ax."

Allura heard the comment as well as Lance and she quickly dropped Keith's arm.

Stepping forward, Keith was irritated on several levels. He didn't like that Allura had moved away from him because of Nanny Hilda, and he didn't like that someone had gone against his wishes and invited her to the castle. "Nanny Hilda, we weren't expecting you," he said carefully, trying to figure out who had instigated this.

Walking up so that she was less than a foot from the prince, she softened her features only slightly as her hands remained on her hips. "You've grown I see." Leaning over so she could look around him, she said, "And I see that you have been consorting with those beneath your station."

Pidge and Lance merely scratched their heads and looked at the woman like she was crazy. Allura, however, turned bright red as Nanny Hilda's eyes had lingered on her at the end of her sentence.

Ignoring his former nanny's comments, the prince said somewhat icily, "Why are you here, Nanny Hilda? I do not recall issuing an invitation."

It was at this moment that Coran burst into the dining hall. The advisor looked around and saw that Keith and Hilda had already discovered each other. Moving up quickly to stand beside his charge, Coran said, "I see that you have found Nanny Hilda."

Turning his icy stare from Hilda to Coran, he said, "Yes, Coran, I was just asking Hilda why she was here."

Coran had hoped to talk to Keith privately about this, but that was no longer an option. However, he did lower his voice and step so that he was facing away from Nanny Hilda and looking at Keith. "Several of the provincial governors indicated to me that they thought the castle could benefit from someone trained in the ways of the Arusian Royal Court. As you know, the Castle Matron that was in charge while you were growing up, died the same day as your parents. Nanny Hilda trained under Castle Matron Melinda and was in charge when the Matron was away. She _does_ know how to return the castle to the traditions we have almost lost." Coran didn't know how to read the young prince's reaction.

The prince knew he had to make a decision. The silence in the room was almost a physical presence as he said, "I will agree for Hilda to serve as _probationary_ Matron. We thank you Matron Hilda for your willingness to serve." Keith gave her a small bow and turned back toward the team. For him, the conversation was at an end.

However, Matron Hilda had other ideas. "Thank you, Prince Keith. I look forward to instructing you in the ways of the royal court." Hilda looked around him once again as she continued, "It is obvious that a firm hand is needed to return things to order."

The team watched in wonder, as Keith changed from the somewhat relaxed pilot of just a few minutes ago to a formal young man who knew his royal place.

Turning slowly to face the new Matron, Keith moved back so that once again they were standing only a few feet apart. His tone was low and spoke of a harnessed temper. "You would do well to remember your place, Matron. I am not the same child who was cowed by your manner. I am ruler of this planet and I expect you to respect my position and those that I call friend." He was satisfied as he watched the scowl on her face drop and her manner become more subservient. As she nodded, he continued. "I'm surprised you speak of returning to court tradition. From my recollection, you should not have approached me directly, but waited for Minister Coran to speak to me on your behalf." Tilting his head to the side he added, "And you did not curtsey to me as is required in this situation."

Dropping her head, Matron Hilda dropped into a low curtsey. "I'm sorry, your Highness."

"I will have Coran schedule a time for me to speak to you about duties."

Still in the curtsey, Hilda said, "Thank you, your Highness." Standing, she watched him walk away. _This is not the same child I left behind after the battle._ Her eyes narrowed as she watched the female pilot move to walk beside him to the table. The girl's eyes sparkled as she looked at the handsome young prince. _Yes. I will have to watch things very carefully so that Alfor's honor is upheld. _Turning, she went back to the kitchen.


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

**Rating/Setting: **Rating is T. Setting is DotU but is definitely AU – see challenge info below.

**Response to Cheetoy's KAEX Challenge "A Royal Twist."** "What if Keith was the surviving Arusian Royal Prince and Allura was an Earth born hometown girl turned GA Starpilot? How will the prim and proper Prince deal with falling for a strong-willed GA pilot of no royal line? Sadly, Nanny and Coran insist on a Princess for our dear Kogane... But how shall they deal with the Drule Prince(ss)? Can they find their Happy Ever After?"

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Eighteen<strong>

Two days later Hunk was due to land in minutes and there were still no signs of a Doom attack. The Alliance had been feeding them information from the Doom planetary system. The Death Fleet was still in orbit and the Alliance didn't want Voltron to attack the planet while the fleet was there. There was just too much risk, even with the Seventh Fleet of the Alliance assisting. Keith had questioned why they wouldn't attack with the fleet there. If the fleet left, wouldn't that mean they were attacking some planetary system? Lance explained to Keith that the Alliance had stationed several small fleets along a number of space trade routes. They would be able to follow the Death fleet and assist whatever system was under attack. Doom needed to be near defenseless for a successful mission to gain control of the planet. Too many ugly and unknown magical things lurked on that planet.

While everyone in the castle was glad of that Doom wasn't attacking them, it left them all a little apprehensive. Doom knew that Voltron was back and that a pilot was injured. It wasn't like the Drules not to take advantage of a situation. Something was up.

The team and Coran now stood watching the Yellow Lion in the repair bay (the only place large enough for the Lions to enter). The advisor was fidgeting, which was most unlike him. His hand kept going up to twirl his mustache, which made Allura giggle. Hearing the pleasant sound behind him, Coran smiled at her and said sheepishly, "I am just pleased that we will have a doctor who is trained in the most up-to-date methods of medicine. Our own doctors are wonderful, but they have not had access to current training since the battle." He turned back quickly to the Yellow Lion as a hatch popped open. "I'm pleased that the Alliance saw fit to send us such a highly qualified physician. Dr. Richard Gorma will be able to help bring Arusian medicine back to where it should be."

Soon, Hunk and Dr. Gorma could be seen disembarking. And they could be heard as well. "No one said that I'd be riding in a shoe box for over ten hours. I know that these machines are-" Dr. Gorma stopped suddenly as he saw the small group approaching him.

Coran with his coat-tails billowing behind him rushed up to the doctor. "Greetings, Dr. Gorma! We are honored that you agreed to this station."

A large, genuine smile came upon the doctor's face. "It is a pleasure to come and help…"

"I'm sorry. I'm Coran, advisor to Prince Keith." Turning, he gestured to Keith and then introduced all the pilots. "Indeed Dr. Gorma, we are very pleased-"

"Dick."

Coran stood up stiffly and said, "Excuse me, Doctor?"

"Dick. Call me Dick. It's short for Richard on Earth." The doctor didn't see the amused looks behind him as he looked up to where mechanics were working to detach a large metal container from the top of Yellow Lion. "Be careful up there!" He called out. "The equipment and supplies in there are incredibly valuable! I don't know how long it would take to replace any of it if it's damaged." When he received a suitable replay, he turned back to the group. Giving a quick bow to Keith, he said, "If you don't mind, your Highness, I would like to freshness up after the long journey."

Stepping forward, Keith said, "Of course, um… Dr. Gorma."

Waving a carefree hand in the air, the doctor once again said, "No, no, no. Please call me Dick."

Keith could hear Lance's snicker in the background.

"I'd be happy to address you as such, Doctor, but we're just returning to our traditional ways. I'd feel more comfortable addressing you by your title."

"Oh. I understand. I quite understand your need to return to a slightly more formal mode of address."

Giving a slight nod, Keith gestured toward the main castle wall and walked with the doctor.

Lance watched Keith, Coran, and the doctor head toward the castle proper. The three remaining pilots were to assist with the removal of the medical cargo so Hunk could have a rest. But watching the three men walk away, Lance said, "He's really something else, isn't he?"

The blonde pilot turned from watching the cargo removal to look in the direction of the departing men. "You mean, Dick?" She couldn't say it without laughing.

Lance couldn't help but join her. "Well, yeah, he's something too. You know I'll be having fun with his name for the foreseeable future." Laughing some more, he said, "Did you see Coran's face when the good doctor said, 'Dick?' It was priceless." As their chuckling subsided, he said, "As much as I think Dr. Gorma will be a valuable addition, I was actually talking about Keith."

Putting on an air of indifference, Allura politely said, "Yes, the prince is actually quite normal and has been very accepting of us."

Lance could only keep a straight face for a moment before laughing so hard that he had to lean over and put his hands on his knees.

Hands on her hips, Allura frostily said, "He _has_ been very nice."

Lance's laughter continued.

"The prince _is friendly_." As she watched Lance right himself and wipe a tear from his eye, she asked, "What the hell is wrong with you? I thought you liked him!"

"Oh, I like him fine. Everything you said is true." Giving her a devilish smirk, he said, "I just don't like him as much as you do." Lance was rewarded with a bright pink blush on Allura's cheeks. "Ah, that's a lovely shade on your cheeks, Allura, it matches your uniform."

At that, she hauled off hit him in the arm. She felt no remorse at his cry of pain. "You're lucky I didn't hit you in the face and break your nose. It would serve you right to have to go see 'Dick' right after his arrival."

Backing up a couple of paces, Lance continued to chuckle. "You know, Prince Keith has a birthday in a few months. He'll be twenty-one. You're less than two years older-" Lance turned to run as he saw the murderous gleam in his subordinate's eyes. He called over his shoulder as she chased him, "You know you could be court-martialed if you hit me!"

Pidge and Lance sat atop Yellow with the mechanics and watched as Allura chased Lance around the hanger bay.

Looking at his large friend, Pidge inquired, "Why is Allura chasing Lance?"

Hunk just smiled and said, "Cue the Benny Hill music," as he watched them run around things in the hanger. As for Pidge's question, the other mechanics were too close by for him to answer. He knew that Lance had to have been teasing Allura about the Prince. "Tell you later, Pidge." Hunk gave an almost imperceptible nod towards the Arusians working with them and Pidge nodded back. Hunk took one last look at the chase on the hanger floor before turning back to the cargo. It was going to be an interesting time to be sure.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **A nod to Cheetoy for the Benny Hill reference. It was perfect!


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

**Rating/Setting: **Rating is T. Setting is DotU but is definitely AU – see challenge info below.

**Response to Cheetoy's KAEX Challenge "A Royal Twist."** "What if Keith was the surviving Arusian Royal Prince and Allura was an Earth born hometown girl turned GA Starpilot? How will the prim and proper Prince deal with falling for a strong-willed GA pilot of no royal line? Sadly, Nanny and Coran insist on a Princess for our dear Kogane... But how shall they deal with the Drule Prince(ss)? Can they find their Happy Ever After?"

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Nineteen<strong>

Later that day, it was time for supper. The team, including Keith, lingered outside the dining hall waiting for their large companion to arrive. They didn't say anything to each other, they all knew what the others were waiting for. Soon, Hunk appeared. He was still indulging in larger-than-life stretches and air-gulping yawns.

Opening his eyes after a big stretch, he looked at them and said, "Gee. Thanks for waiting for me guys. Did you miss me?"

Patting him on the back, Pidge said, "Place hasn't been the same without you, big guy. Come on and let's go in. The food has only gotten better since you left."

Pidge and Hunk walked in first with the other three following at a slow pace. The unsuspecting Hunk didn't hesitate but went immediately to the buffet and began to dish things onto his plate. He wasn't messy on purpose, but the heaping spoonfuls and liquids led to some small drips and puddles on the serving line. The four pilots stood back as Matron Hilda entered the dining hall….

"What! Are! You! Doing?!" Matron Hilda yelled with the ferocity of a mother bear whose cub had been attacked.

Hunk was caught quite off-guard and in his surprise, his plate had literally flown up in the air. While it didn't land on his head as it would have in a comic, it did glue itself to his chest. Gravy, cinnamon apples, and BBQ sauce all served as bonding agents. The large man was afraid to turn around as he held the plate of ruined food to his chest. He could feel the warmth of the liquids permeating the fabric. He did spare a glare of reproach at his friends as he heard footsteps approach him from behind. The person whose anger he had sparked belonged with those feet and he was soon to meet her.

The prince glanced at Lance.

"Not yet, Prince. He needs to get a taste of it so he'll appreciate it when you run interference. Besides, he can handle one little scolding." Lance smiled slightly as he watched the scene before him. They all had known what would happen when Hunk had his first meal with Matron Hilda. Keith had wanted to put Hilda in her place immediately, but Lance had asked him to hold off. In a way, he wanted to give Hunk and Nanny a chance. After all, Hunk's love of good cooking might just win him some points with the Matron. However, it looked like wearing the food wouldn't win him any points. Lance waited only a minute before saying, "Okay, Keith, go save him."

Moving from the shadows to the spot that was more of an interrogation room than a buffet line at the moment, he cleared his throat. "Matron Hilda."

The woman started and turned from her victim to the prince. Bobbing a curtsey, she said, "Yes, your Highness?"

"Please let me introduce you to my _friend_, and the pilot of Yellow Lion. This is Sergeant Hunk Garrett of the Alliance. He has just returned from taking his gravely injured commander to Planet Ebb. Please remember that the commander was almost killed protecting me. The debt we owe these soldiers is not to be taken lightly." Keith kept his tone light. They had left this door open for the Matron to walk into and they shared the blame for her fussing at Hunk. He would not berate her for something they knew would happen. After all, they did not to stop it from happening.

"Of course, Prince Keith. I didn't know." Hilda's tone was conciliatory even though the looks she gave the pilot, whose food was now leaking from the bottom of the plate to the floor, were anything but friendly.

"Hunk has raved about the food from the kitchen and I'm sure with you in charge now, that he will be even more pleased."

Hilda perked up a little as she looked over the size of the Sergeant. "Well, we aim for high standards here at the castle." Taking Hunk by the arm, she began leading him to the kitchen. "Let's get this food cleaned off of you. I'll send a staff member to get you a fresh shirt. While we wait for him to return, you can sample some of the desserts I have for later."

The scowl on Hunk's face changed to one of glee. "Desserts? I love desserts, Madam! Do you have cheesecake by any chance?"

"Cheesecake? I'm not sure of that recipe, you'll have to let me know if one of our dishes is similar. If we don't have it, get me the recipe…"

Matron Hilda and Hunk walked out of range. The three other pilots walked over to stand with Keith.

"What the hell was that?" Lance asked as he scratched his head.

"I think she saw Hunk's stomach and realized he was a man after her own heart." Pidge laughed.

Allura couldn't help but giggle. "But the difference is, Hunk's is muscle." Her eyes grew wide and she covered her mouth as the guys laughed. She thanked her stars that Hilda was around to hear that.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After lunch, Matron Hilda asked to meet with each team member individually and then meet with the team as a whole afterward. Pulling Hilda to the side, Keith asked, "What do you have in mind for these meetings, Matron. I won't have them harassed."

Hilda looked at the Prince with a shocked expression. "I wouldn't harass these young people, Prince Keith. I merely plan to go over some of the court protocol for when we have visitors and so forth."

Keith looked at her with a skeptical eye. "All right, but remember they are our guests and are not bound by our traditions."

"I understand, Prince Keith, but I would like to introduce them to our ways. It is possible they might like some of our traditions."

With a sigh Keith said, "All right. I will be up after I speak to some villagers that are having a land dispute."

"Of course, your Highness, your royal duties come first. I will see you when you are done." Matron Hilda beamed at him. She was pleased that the prince had not shot down her idea without trying it. She watched him walk away and thought that perhaps they could return to the old ways after all. It was a shame that King Alfor hadn't wanted to keep all of them and had begun changing ways of dress and address. Well_, we have a chance now to put it all back right_.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was almost an hour later when Keith entered the designated room for the meetings with Matron Hilda. "I'm sorry guys, the villagers-" Keith broke off mid-sentence as he looked at the Alliance team before him. Well, everyone except for Allura. "What is going on? Why are you dressed like… that?"

Hunk pulled at the high starched collar on his shirt. Pidge had one hand holding up a pair of knickers that was still too big even with pins. And Lance was playing with the large amount lace that edged his shirtsleeves. All of them wore the knee breeches with black or brown boots, a button-up collared dress shirt in various colors with lace on the sleeves and cravats around the neck. Fitted jackets, some with tails some without, were also worn by the three pilots.

Lance crossed his arms and said, "I feel like I should be on the cover of some Regency romance novel from Earth. Except there is usually some buxom beauty in the arms of the hero and I have yet to see anyone come into this room to help with that." Seeing that Keith was lost by his reference, he continued. "Matron said that we needed to have proper attire to wear for court and she had the caverns below searched for suitable garments that had been collected in the past." Looking over to Pidge, he said, "Some garments still need some alterations."

Pidge grunted, "I'll say. I feel ridiculous in this."

"Just wait," Hunk said, "Hilda said she would be in soon to teach us how to bow properly as well as how to sit and engage in conversation. That should be a load of fun."

Lance watched Keith closely.

Keith closed his eyes as Hunk spoke. He could feel his anger boiling beneath the surface. Anger, but no magic and that was good. He didn't want to blow anything up in the castle. This kind of thing was _exactly_ what he didn't want. It was why he had not wanted Hilda here to begin with. Then it hit him. Eyes popping open, he asked, "Where is Allura?"

Lance tried to sit carefully on a settee in the room but grimaced as he heard a slight ripping sound come from the back of the breeches. "Two doors down on the left with the Matron." He watched with a smile as Keith briskly left the room. Looking over at his teammates, Lance said, "Pidge watch the pins when you sit and Hunk… I think you should probably just stand. Sitting does not agree with these tight pants."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Keith strode down the corridor and stopped outside the room. The door was locked in the open position. The prince figured that Hilda had done it for propriety with the male members of the team. Heaven forbid that someone think that something had gone on with one of them behind closed doors. As if any of the three men would even think about that with her. However, it was working in his favor right now for the door to be open. Leaning against the wall, he crossed his arms and listened to the 'discussion' inside.

"I'm telling you Matron Hilda. I am NOT wearing that gown. I hate the style and I am nauseated by the color." Allura's voice rang out into the hall.

"But this is proper court attire for women. A formal gown is appropriate. This color will look lovely on you." Hilda tried to coax her unwilling guest.

Allura had seen the guys come back one by one with their clothes. She had laughed at them until Lance had mentioned that she would soon have her turn.

"I do not mind a formal gown, but I do not want this one. Allow me to order my own from Earth in a color that I like," Allura tried to reason.

"I will have to approve the gown if you will not wear this one, but it must be with a full skirt and the bodice must be modest."

Allura's face flamed. "The formal gown style is now more straight and not so full. In addition, I will determine the bodice and how much I want to show."

"Harmpfh."

Turning on her heel, Allura took several long strides and was soon out the door. She stopped almost instantly as Keith looked up at her with a smile.

Pushing off from the wall, Keith saw Allura's surprised face. "I just saw the guys and I was coming to rescue you. You know, the prince looking to help a damsel in distress?" He saw her blush and continued, "However, I soon discovered that you didn't need defending at all."

"Well, I, I mean-" Allura was next to speechless. Something that seemed to only happen around the prince.

Keith looked behind her and saw Matron Hilda in the door, frowning at them. "It's okay, Allura. You head back and tease the guys a little. I need to speak to Matron Hilda. I'll be down in a few minutes."

Looking over her shoulder, Allura saw the scowl on Hilda's face. She wasn't happy with her or with the prince. Allura didn't envy Prince Keith. "Of course, Prince. We'll be waiting for you."

Moving around her he stepped inside the door and waited for Hilda to step back inside as well.

Hilda waited to see the female pilot step inside the room where the others waited before moving back inside to speak with the prince.

"Matron Hilda, the pilots are not to wear Arusian court clothing, nor will they be held to court etiquette." When she went to interrupt, he raised his hand and said, "They are officers in the Alliance. They know proper manners and will behave and dress appropriately."

"But we are trying to revive our traditions-"

"Yes_, OUR_ traditions, not theirs. During my grandmother's reign, court dress had begun to change. It continued with my father and I plan to do the same. Formal court clothing of the last century will continue to be worn for the special festivals, but it will _not_ be daily attire."

Hilda looked over the prince's dark fitted pants that neatly disappeared into the tops of his knee-high black boots. The fitted light blue button-up shirt was neat and crisp. He looked like he could be any man in any town; and she hated it. He should look like a monarch and those around him should reflect that as well. Her lips drew into a thin line. She would have to have back-up on this from the governors; it was not a battle she could win at the moment. "I understand, your Highness. I will not try to influence the clothing or manners of our guests at this time."

"Thank you, Matron." Keith turned and left the room. He knew that the battle had barely begun. The fight was in her eyes. She wanted to return to the past and he wanted to start a new future. It was a battle he planned to win.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty**

"So you think they'll fall for it?" Merla asked.

"I think it's highly likely that they will accept you until they can prove that you are a threat." Haggar replied. "They're not stupid, they are wondering why we haven't attacked. However, they don't know why and I don't think they'll suspect a lone woman in a fighter as the way we would attack."

"It's ingenious." Zarkon announced from his throne. "What do you think, Lotor?"

The prince only grunted. He hated anything that would give his sister an edge over him in gaining the throne of Doom. This ploy to capture the Prince of Arus was suspicious. Neither his father nor the witch would tell him what the plan was for the prince once he was captured. All they would say was they hoped to have the Black Lion and the prince once the mission was complete. That was what he wanted. Nothing would stop him then from crushing any resistance on the planet and taking his rightful place in the new Castle of Lions. But something was wrong with this and until he figured it out, he needed to watch things carefully.

"Don't be sad, brother. It's not my fault there's no beautiful princess for you to seduce." Merla smiled at him.

Crossing his arms over his broad chest, Lotor snarled out his response, "If it were a princess, I wouldn't have to seduce her. She'd come to me willingly.

Merla narrowed her eyes and hissed at him. "We'll see what happens when I go to Arus, brother."

A cackle distracted them from their argument. "The prince will be in the command ship outside their sensor range. If there is a problem, he will come in and release the Cobra robeast that I have prepared."

"Make it so, Haggar. I look forward to meeting the budding sorcerer." Zarkon lifted his glass of wine to his mouth. Some of the liquid drained from the corner of his mouth, but he paid it no mind. The three at the bottom of the steps knew that this was a dismissal and signal for them to begin their mission.

As they walked out of the throne room, Haggar motioned for Merla to follow her. "It's time for your disguise, Princess. I'm afraid you hair and skin will automatically give you away. We'll make just a few modifications."

Merla nodded and followed while Lotor headed toward the hanger to prepare for departure. Questions still lingered in his mind.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Walking into Haggar's lab, Merla said, "What is it to be, witch? Spell? Potion? Magic wand?"

"No need to be flippant with me, Princess." Haggar turned to face Merla. "Our goal is the same."

"I highly doubt that. My goal is for me to be on the throne of Doom at my father's death. I want the King of Arus beside me, subservient to my wishes. Voltron is to be at my command and my brother exiled to some faraway planetary system where he cannot bother me." Tilting her head to the side, she pulled her long mane of pink hair around to the side and ran her fingers through it. "Tell me, witch, is that your goal as well."

Haggar brought her staff to rest in front of her and placed both hands on top of it as she regarded the ambitious princess. "I do not oppose any of what you said as long as I am not in that faraway place with your brother."

"No, you would be beside me, making sure my husband stays in line with his magic." Merla regarded her carefully. "I believe that you are interested in harnessing my future husband's power to increase your own. Am I correct?"

Haggar nodded. "You are, Princess. I think our goals are close enough that should work together and not fight each other."

"Agreed. Now, how do we change my appearance?"

With a wave of her staff and a few words, Haggar implemented the spell.

Merla only saw a temporary blurring of the images in front of her before everything returned to normal. Glancing down, she noticed that her skin was the color of the Arusians and Terrans. Her long hair that she had pulled to the front was no longer the glorious pink she loved, but the colorless shade of white that adorned the head of her brother and most Drules. She quirked an eyebrow up at the witch.

Haggar shrugged, "No need for you to draw too much attention on the command ship. This hair color is common enough among humanoids." She watched as Merla walked toward a mirror in the room. "You'll find that the rest of your appearance is the same. I believe that the hair and skin coloration will be enough to fool them."

Merla turned head from side to side as she looked at her reflection. "You did well, Haggar. If we succeed, I will be sure you are rewarded."

Cackling, Haggar said, "Just let me have the prince for a few days, Princess." Her mind was already figuring out how she could tap into his power and use him as a power source to strength her own magic.

An evil smile was on Merla's lips as she turned around. "You know, from almost any other person, that would sound sexual. But from you, it only sounds evil." Both women laughed. "You did say he was attractive. I just ask that you not do anything to make him unattractive."

Bowing to the princess, Haggar said, "There won't be any physical markings without your permission."

"Then let us go get the prince so we can bring him to his new home," Merla said as she exited the chamber.

Haggar followed her and glanced to the cell at the back of her lab. Soon she hoped that it would have an occupant.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was late afternoon on Arus when the Drules entered the system. Hiding behind an outlying planet, Merla entered the hanger bay where her small fighter was located. Haggar and Lotor were a few steps behind her going over last minute information. She was ready and looking forward to meeting Prince Keith. Lotor hated him with a passion and for that reason alone, Merla was disposed to like the Arusian prince.

"Did you hear me, sister?" Lotor impatiently asked.

"Of course, dear brother, you will be monitoring my communications through the bracelet I'm wearing. I'm to keep it with me at all times. Yes, I know."

Lotor moved up to grab his sister by the arm. Her eyes traveled from his face to where his fingers pressed into her skin and then back to his eyes. "Unhand me, Lotor."

His hold only tightened as he said, "I know you're up to something. Do not cross me, Merla."

Looking into his eyes, she smiled and said, "Wouldn't dream of it, brother dear." Snatching her arm away, she climbed the ladder of the fighter and jumped in. Closing the cockpit's canopy, she activated her com and said, "I'll wait for you to put the plan in motion. I'm ready when you are."

Lotor didn't respond but turned and left the hanger bay with Haggar following behind him. It was time to put whatever plan his father had hatched with the witch into motion.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Merla took her fighter to just outside the satellite sensor grid of Arus and waited. She had seen the shuttle launch right behind her and knew that the meteor they had selected would soon be tumbling past her at a rate of speed faster than normal. Its flight path carefully planned for the largest city near the castle. The meteor would begin to disintegrate upon entry into the atmosphere. The chunks would need to be directed away from the city or vaporized before impact. To make sure that the meteor broke into a number of pieces, low energy explosives had been attached to weak points. The Lions would respond and even if they were able to get all the pieces, she would be there to warn and assist. If there were a few for her to shoot out of the sky, all the better for her cover story. Merla smiled wickedly as she watched the meteor tumble past her.

Powering up her fighter, she waited just a few more moments and then radioed, "Planet Arus, please come in. You are in danger as a large meteor is about to enter your atmosphere. I was unable to change its course. You need to alert your defenses."

"This is Planet Arus. Thank you for the warning. The meteor has just appeared on our radar and we are sending ships to intercept." Coran listened as the claxons sounded and the dais rose. As the team ran into the room, he called down, "I'm sending information to your Lions now. Meteor impact expected in the city of Regina."

"We're on our way," Lance called as he raced for 2. Everyone else was right behind him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I've got it on the view screen, Coran." Lance said as he watched the meteorite streak through the sky and break into pieces. "I'm sending attack patterns to everyone. After you take out your primary, go for the smaller ones. We need to minimize as much impact as possible."

"Roger that," and "Aye, Cap," came back over the com to him.

They all watched as a fighter came into view and took out a piece of the space rock. "Count me in too, Commander."

Lance punched a few buttons and said, "Okay, sending everyone the updated targets. And by the way, it's just lieutenant, not commander."

A pleasant laugh came back to him, "Okay then, Lieutenant."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Only a few pieces escaped vaporization by the team and the unknown fighter. Looking at the clear skies, Lance called for the team and the unknown pilot to land out on the plains away from the castle. Everyone was interested in who the unknown female pilot was. As they jumped from the tops of their Lions they watched as the fighter pilot climbed out and jumped to the ground.

Merla pulled her helmet off and shook out her long white hair. Putting her helmet under her arm, she tossed her head causing her hair to fall around her face. "Greetings, I'm Princess Bocara," Merla said with a smile on her face and in her eyes.


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

**Rating/Setting: **Rating is T. Setting is DotU but is definitely AU – see challenge info below.

**Response to Cheetoy's KAEX Challenge "A Royal Twist."** "What if Keith was the surviving Arusian Royal Prince and Allura was an Earth born hometown girl turned GA Starpilot? How will the prim and proper Prince deal with falling for a strong-willed GA pilot of no royal line? Sadly, Nanny and Coran insist on a Princess for our dear Kogane... But how shall they deal with the Drule Prince(ss)? Can they find their Happy Ever After?"

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twenty-One<strong>

Allura was disgusted with her male teammates. Well, all but Keith. The three Alliance pilots had to pick their jaws up off the ground. They were practically drooling over Princess Bocara. All Keith had done, was turn to give her a somewhat concerned looked and then stepped forward.

Keith realized that Lance wasn't going to say or do anything; he was too dazzled by the beauty. Reaching up, Keith removed his helmet and put it under his arm. Walking up to the princess, he bowed and said, "Greetings Princess Bocara, I am Prince Keith of Arus."

Merla's eyes widened at his admission and then before she could stop herself, her eyes raked over his body in a predatory fashion. Then in the blink of an eye, she was back under control. The witch's images of the prince didn't do him credit. Haggar didn't have any images of him without his helmet, so she had supposed that he was going to be ugly. Nobody, can be royalty, have magic, Voltron and be handsome. It seemed, however, that Keith had beaten the odds and was such a person. Smiling at Keith, she dipped into a modest curtsey. "I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Prince Keith. I am also glad that we were able to destroy the meteorites before they did any serious damage to your planet."

"We thank you for your assistance." Gesturing toward the castle, he said, "Would you eat and refresh yourself with us before continuing your journey?"

With a sparkle in her eyes, Merla responded, "Why thank you, I would greatly appreciate that."

"I'm in the Black Lion. Follow me to the castle; I'll have them open the landing bay doors for you." Keith put his helmet on his head. "Wait for me in the hanger. I'll come to you and escort you to your room."

Inclining her head, she said, "As you wish, you Highness."

When Keith turned to leave, he found a variety of facial expressions. Walking up to Lance, Keith said, "What is it?"

Lance looked at the Princess and said, "Nothing I can put my finger on yet."

However, Allura had no such qualms about pinpointing a problem and fell into step beside Keith as he moved toward Black. "I don't like it and I don't like her."

Keith looked at her curiously. "She helped us destroy the meteorites. I don't see an ulterior motive."

"You don't?" Allura asked incredulously. "She's getting into the castle and _you_ are escorting her."

"She won't be unattended in the castle and I'll have the computers in her quarters restricted. As for me escorting her, what's the big deal?" Keith was genuinely puzzled.

Allura reached out and grabbed Keith's arm, pulling him to a stop. "You didn't notice how she looked at you once you introduced yourself?"

"No. Was there something wrong in how she looked at me?" Keith was starting to get a little annoyed at the lieutenant's tone and manner.

"She looked at you like you were some exotic dancer or something." Allura was becoming flustered now. She really would have thought Keith would have seen that look.

Keith's brows drew together in confusion. "Exotic dancer? What is an exotic dancer? Should I be offended?"

With cheeks pinker than her uniform, Allura tried to straighten things out. Taking a deep breath, she said, "She looked at you like you like she wanted to rip your clothes." Her eyes dropped to the ground. "Anyway, I think she might want more than just a chance to freshen up. That's all I wanted to say." Without looking back at him, Allura made her way toward Blue Lion.

Watching her go, he thought about what she said. However, it didn't make sense to him. What good would sleeping with him do Princess Bocara? She was on her own journey. He didn't want some fling. Shrugging his shoulders, he began his climb back up Black.

Merla watched as the two pilots parted. She should have been more guarded in her reaction to the prince. It was obvious that the female pilot had noticed her reaction. The pilot would be on guard and might make things more difficult. The princess' eyes narrowed. It was possible the female pilot was in a relationship with the prince. That was something she couldn't and wouldn't allow. Starting up her fighter, she followed Black Lion into the sky.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Keith unconsciously ran a hand through his hair as he made his way to the hanger bay. He was more than a little confused. When the team had entered back into control, he was followed for awhile by Coran. The advisor was ecstatic about Princess Bocara. He was talking about the quality of her fighter and the possibility of an alliance with her planet. Keith had told Coran to stop being ridiculous, that they knew nothing about the woman and she knew nothing about them. However, he was a little concerned. He knew how Coran planned to garner that alliance and he wasn't ready for marriage yet, at least not to her.

Stepping into the bay, he saw Bocara standing next to the fighter with a small bag. Walking toward her, he took in her fitted navy pants and top. The top was a little unusual for a flight suit as it was cut like a halter top with two thick bands of material going up and around her neck. It left her arms and upper back completely bare. She wore matching navy gloves that came up to her elbows. She was indeed a very attractive woman.

"Princess, forgive the delay. The return process for the Lions takes a few moments." Keith bowed as he stopped in front of her.

Merla looked around the bay. "It should be of no worry to you, Prince Keith. I have enjoyed looking at the workings of your hanger bay. In addition, it gave me chance to stretch my legs better."

Keith picked up her bag and offered her his arm. "Let me take you somewhere where you can rest and freshen up before we eat. On the way, maybe you can tell me about where you are from and where you are going."

Taking his arm, Merla let out a sigh. "It's a long story, but I can give you the short version. My father is the King of Lanai. He wanted me to marry the son of his best friend. That would be fine, except I hate him. So I left. I told my father I'd be back when I found someone I wanted to marry."

Keith was silent; he wasn't sure what to say. Was Allura right? Did Princess Bocara have her eye on him? "Um. I'm sorry that you had to do that Princess. I've already told my advisor that I don't have any plans to marry soon. You should have that option too." Having reached her room, Keith keyed open the door and walked in to put her bag on the settee. "I hope you like this room, Princess." The prince looked around the room and then back to the princess. She seemed to be fidgeting a ring on her finger.

Merla activated the small needle in her ring. She hadn't expected to get him alone so quickly or so easily. There was no time like the present. "I think this room will be perfect." Walking over to the prince, she gently placed her hand on his chest and then pressed.

Letting out a small gasp, Keith pushed the princess away. Putting his hand to his chest, he could feel a burning sensation, but didn't see any blood on his shirt. As he sank down onto the settee, he saw Bocara walk to the door and activate the closing sensor. His vision was blurry as he saw her walk back to him.

Reaching out a gloved hand, she caressed his face. "This room is fine for now, but my rooms on Doom are better. I'll enjoy showing them to you, my Prince." She watched as his eyes focused in and out. Soon he would be open to suggestions from her about how to act. After supper, when everyone had gone to bed, she would get the prince to take her out in Black Lion. She had left a small bomb in her fighter. When that went off, there would be chaos. In addition, she had a surprise in her bag for anyone who came to investigate her room. Between the bomb and the surprise, she would be well away with Prince Keith before anyone had a chance to find them. She smiled as Keith sat up and looked at her.

"What happened, Princess?" Keith asked as he lifted a hand to his head.

"You just got dizzy. It's nothing to worry about. Do you understand? It's nothing to worry about."

Keith nodded, "I understand."

"Now go about your business. After we eat this evening and everyone has gone to bed, I want you to come here to my room. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

Merla looked in his eyes, "Tell me again what you are to do."

"After everyone is in bed, I'm to come here to your room." Keith said in a monotone.

"Very good, my prince. Now go about your normal routine."

Standing, Keith looked back at the princess as he stood at the door. His mind had cleared and things seemed fine. But something was off. He looked back at the smiling princess. Shaking his head, he left her room, uncertain why he felt so apprehensive.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dinner was a somewhat comical affair. Coran and Matron Hilda gushed over the Princess from Lania. Coran had done some research and discovered that what Bocara said went with the sketchy details he could get about the princess' disappearance. There were few pictures available and those were years old. The Lania were somewhat reclusive when it came to social media. However, the Lania were a wealthy people with contacts in manufacturing, mining, and any number of businesses that Arus needed help with. An alliance with the Lania would be incredible.

Keith had merely pushed his food around on his plate. Both Coran and Hilda had spoken to him earlier about duty and responsibility. They said they weren't pushing him to marry Bocara, but to do something that would get her to stay. In addition to this push for an alliance, he still had the uncomfortable suspicion that something was wrong; he just didn't know what it was.

Lance watched Keith and he also watched Allura. He noted that Allura didn't look at Keith much, but that she scowled at the Princess who was sitting next to Keith. The team had all heard Coran's lecture to the prince on duty earlier. He actually felt for the kid. The pressure they were putting on him was awful. His thoughts were interrupted as Allura put her fork down with a loud clank against her plate.

Bocara had seen the anger in the pilot's eyes and even though it probably wasn't the best, she couldn't resist poking at the irritated pilot. Keeping her eyes on Allura, Merla reached over and placed her hand on Keith's thigh.

Allura had seen the princess move her hand and then Keith's surprised reaction. She just couldn't take it. Loudly placing her fork on her plate, she stood.

Concerned, Lance stood and reached over to Allura. "Remember to think calmly, Lieutenant." He had seen the spark in her eye and knew that she was about to blow.

"Don't you all see it? Princess Bocara wants him. It's why she came here. I wouldn't be surprised if she caused the meteor to enter Arusian air space!"

Coran gasped. "Lieutenant! Remember your place!"

Lance now had Allura by the arms and said, "Apologize to the princess. Now, Lieutenant." His tone did not brook opposition.

Knowing she had severely breeched protocol she looked to where Keith and Bocara stood side by side. She noted that Bocara and placed her hand on Keith's arm. Her blood began to boil anew but she held it in. She was the only one who seemed to suspect this snake in the grass. She had to be on watch for the prince because it was obvious no one else was. "My apologies, Princess Bocara. I was out of line. Please forgive my lapse in etiquette."

"It's quite all right, Lieutenant. I understand that jealousy can get the best of anyone." Merla's smile was one of victory. Sitting down, she patted the seat of Keith's chair. "Please sit down, Keith. I'd love to hear more about Arus."

Keith barely heard Merla. His thoughts were on the words she had said. _Jealous. Merla thinks that Allura is jealous of her. Could she be correct? Is Allura jealous? Does she have feelings for me?_ Feeling a tap on his leg, he realized he had been staring at Allura. Sitting down quickly, he asked, "What else would you like to know, Princess?"

The rest of dinner was fraught with tension. Everyone was glad when it was over. No one wanted to spend time with Bocara, so it was decided to call it an early night.

Lance caught up with Allura as she left the dining hall. "We need to talk, Allura."

"I'm not jealous and I'm not imagining things. She is a snake in the grass and no one wants to see it!" Allura's voice continued to rise as they talked.

Looking around at the curious glances they were getting from staff, he pulled her into an empty conference room. "I don't care what you think privately. But publicly, you have got to respect her! Spouting off in a fit of temper isn't like you."

Crossing her arms, she said, "I know, it's more like you, Mr. 'Who died and made you king.' The instant the words were out of her mouth, she regretted them.

Sitting on the edge of the table, Lance let out a big sigh. "Yeah, you're right." Looking at her, he said, "And look what my big mouth almost cost us. Do you want to do the same thing here?"

Throwing her head back in frustration, Allura said, "No. That woman just gets me riled up. I know she has ulterior motives." Turning her eyes to her friend, she asked, "Did you see what she did to get me going?"

"Actually, I didn't. I was watching you watch her."

"Well, she looked me in the eye and then put her hand on his leg." Allura stopped talking as Lance burst out laughing.

"Boy, do you have it bad, kiddo!" Lance said with a laugh.

"I. Do. Not!"

"Whatever, Allura. Keep your tongue in check while the princess is here." Lance reached out to tilt her face up so he could look her in the eye. "Understand?" After her nod, Lance moved for the door.

"Understood," she whispered as Lance left. Allura decided that she would just keep an eye on the visiting dignitary, just to be safe. As she left the room, she said to herself, _I'm not jealous. I'm just concerned about a friend. Yeah, right. No wonder Lance doesn't believe me. I don't believe myself_.


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

**Rating/Setting: **Rating is T. Setting is DotU but is definitely AU – see challenge info below.

**Response to Cheetoy's KAEX Challenge "A Royal Twist."** "What if Keith was the surviving Arusian Royal Prince and Allura was an Earth born hometown girl turned GA Starpilot? How will the prim and proper Prince deal with falling for a strong-willed GA pilot of no royal line? Sadly, Nanny and Coran insist on a Princess for our dear Kogane... But how shall they deal with the Drule Prince(ss)? Can they find their Happy Ever After?"

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twenty-Two<strong>

That night, Keith sat in his chambers staring at the coffee table in front of him as his right leg bounced nervously in an irregular rhythm. Something was wrong, he just didn't know what it was. There was something he was supposed to do. He looked at the clock; everyone was probably asleep by now. _I'll just go check to make sure the princess is okay_, Keith thought to himself. He had no idea he was responding to the suggestion that Merla had given him earlier as he left his room for her guest quarters on the same floor.

Allura sat just inside the door of the guest room two doors down from Bocara's room. She had keyed the door so that it was open about an inch. With the dim lighting in the corridor, no one would notice unless they were looking for it. So far, nothing had happened. Perhaps she was being over-sensitive. If she was, Lance would never hear about this little unauthorized surveillance she was doing. If he learned of it, he would never let her hear the end of it. A shadow passed by and she put her eye to the door. _The Prince_!

Stopping in front of Princess Bocara's door, Keith paused. _This is wrong… no it's right… I'm supposed to check on her, aren't I?_

Allura watched as the prince seemed to have an internal debate. She was getting ready to go out and confront him when the door to Bocara's room opened without Keith ringing the chime. Her eyes narrowed. It was like the princess was expecting him. She watched as Bocara ran a hand lingeringly down his chest. Keith wasn't going to… no, he wasn't that type. He couldn't be planning to….

Merla smiled at the handsome prince as he stood outside her door looking somewhat confused. She could have him come in and spend the night, he would respond to such a mental suggestion. She sighed; there was no time for that now. "Wait here, Keith, there's something I need to fix in my room first."

Allura watched as the princess picked up a bag next to her door and step further into her room. In moments she was back. Bocara took Keith's arm and they walked down the hallway away from his room. This made Allura feel a little better. She would be able to track their movements using the castle computer system. But first, she wanted to see what Bocara had gone back in her room for…

Carefully punching in the over-ride sequence, Allura glanced up and down the hall before stepping quietly into the room. She palmed the sensor to raise the lights to a dim glow in the room. Scanning the room, she saw an open bag on the bed. Walking over, she glanced inside and saw it was empty. Hearing a hiss behind her, she pulled her blaster from her side and shot a cobra as it launched itself at her. Her breath was coming out in gasps as she went over the dead snake. _Did Bocara bring this? What is she doing carrying snakes in her bag?_ Hearing another hiss she spun to see several more cobras coming from under the bed. She shot several as she backed toward the door. Moving quickly through it, she keyed the door so that no unsuspecting staff member would stumble into a room full of cobras.

_Keith!_ Allura moved quickly toward a castle vid panel. Lifting her wrist to her mouth, she called Lance. "Lance, there are snakes in Bocara's room. She and Keith are somewhere in the castle; we've got to find them now!"

"Whoa, Allura! Snakes? What are you talking about?" Lance asked in confusion. He had been changing into his sleepwear until he got this call. Now he stopped and waited. He had teased her about liking the prince, but she wasn't one to make up things like this. "Wait, nevermind. I'll alert Pidge and Hunk. Call us back immediately when you have their location. We'll meet you there."

"Will do," Allura said as she keyed off her com. "Computer, where are Prince Keith and Princess Bocara?"

"Prince Keith and Princess Bocara are in Castle Control."

"Dear lord," Allura whispered. Breaking into a run, she called Lance again, "Castle Control. She's trying to steal Keith and a Lion. We've got to stop them."

"Agreed, we're on our way. Meet you there." Lance said as he ran with Hunk and Pidge toward the command room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Merla surveyed the command center; bodies lay in various poses where she and Keith had stunned them. He had initially resisted her command to stun them, but then his will crumpled and he complied. Her control over him was tentative. She wasn't sure he would follow her orders if someone would be seriously injured. What she needed was to get him to Haggar so they could start on his mind-control. Walking to a console, he followed her. "Type in the sequence we need to get to the Lions." Merla was startled when the dais rose. Looking with concern at the shaft and T-bar she realized she had a problem. "How can we both get down there?" She looked back at the door to the center. She had fried the controls, but someone with knowledge could get them open with an over-ride.

Keith closed his eyes and thought.

"Quickly, Keith," Merla hissed.

"On my back," he said as his eyes opened. "You can ride down on my back. You will need to let go when I tell you."

At the entrance to the #1 shaft, Merla holstered her blasted wrapped her arms around his neck. As she leaned against his back, she whispered in his ear, "I could get used to this."

Keith shook his head slightly. He wanted to respond differently, but the magical potion in his system wouldn't let him… at least not yet. "Hold on," he gritted out as he jumped for the bar.

Merla did as she was told and released at the right time. She then moved quickly out of the way as Keith followed soon behind her. She noticed that his clothing had changed but hers had not. Curious. She watched as Keith sat in the command chair and looked at her with anger.

"Do you need an invitation, Princess?" His tone was harsh.

The princess frowned at him. Haggar's potion wasn't lasting as long as it should. Perhaps the prince's own magic was interfering. Moving to sit in his lap, she wrapped her arms around his neck, and draped her legs over the armrest.

Keith reached around her and punched a button and the craft shot down the tube. His grimaced as Merla laughed with pleasure as the seat rose through the transparent tube to lock into place aboard the Lion.

Standing, Merla looked at the Lion's controls. "Get up, Prince Keith; I want to fly the Lion."

He stood to the side as commanded and handed her the key.

After placing the key in the lock, she looked at the console. Nothing was happening. She pushed several buttons and moved several levers but nothing much happened. The Lion stood and leaned over somewhat. "Why won't this thing start!" she snarled. Suddenly the console lit and a piercing sound was emitted.

Keith looked at the vid screen to see his father's face. He didn't know if Bocara could see him or not, but he was there. "You shall not have the Lions or Voltron," he said. Looking at Keith, he continued, "Illusion is before you; use what you have to unmask it." The image faded as Bocara turned toward him.

Merla stood and shoved the prince toward the seat. "You've got to fly this thing for me."

Keith's heartbeat was rapid and his breathing was short. He desperately wanted to fight her, but he wasn't able to break through yet. _What did my father say, 'illusion?' What was illusion?_

"Take off now, Prince Keith."

Unable to resist, Keith did as he was instructed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When the team arrived at Castle Control, Coran was there working on the over-ride for the door. "Almost got it," the advisor called back. Moments later the doors slowly creaked open. Everyone rushed in with their blasters drawn. Moving quickly to the downed staff, they determined that they were merely stunned.

Holstering his weapon, Lance said, "We need to go, Coran."

Looking at the bodies around him and knowing that the woman had Keith, chilled him. "Yes, go. I've already called for a med team. Dr. Gorma should be here in just a few minutes." As the team ran for the dais, Coran called out, "Lt. McClain!"

Lance paused and looked back.

"Bring him back. Please." Coran tone was solemn. The hurt of possibly losing Keith was in his eyes.

"There's no other option, Coran. He's one of us." Lance turned on his heel, sprinted the remaining distance, and dove for his T-bar.

As the Lions came together, they could see Black Lion way ahead of them. Coran's image appeared on the video screen. "There's a Drule ship coming into the atmosphere. I'm sure that she's taking Keith and the Lion there."

"Don't worry, Coran, we won't let them board." Lance said as he toggled a few switches.

"I've got him lined up in my sights, Lance. She's not giving us a lot of options." Allura's calm tone didn't give away the fear she felt about possibly firing on Keith. They couldn't let him board the Drule ship, but this was an awful way to stop him.

"Don't fire at him, but throw your ion knife," Lance said.

"Got it, Cap." The ion knife appeared in the Blue Lion's jaws and with a flick of its mighty head, it flew toward Black Lion.

Keith saw it coming but didn't move out of the way. The ion knife hit Black and sent him careening toward the surface. Bocara was thrown against Keith's chair before the Lion righted itself. Seizing the moment, Keith grasped Bocara around the wrist. His blue magic rippled from his fingers up her arm and over her body. _Truth_, he thought as he held her arm.

Merla looked around frantically. He was using his magic and she had no idea what he was doing. When the blue fire dissipated, she could see her blue skin and knew that Haggar's illusion was no longer working. This game was up anyway. Before she could say or do anything, the Lion crashed into the ground, knocking them both out.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Haggar had watched as the Lions chased after the prince and princess. It had almost worked, but she could feel that the Prince was fighting off the magical potion. Soon Merla would have no control and he would be lost to them… for now. Turning to a commander, she said, "Release the Cobra robeast and fire the magnifying ray as soon as possible. We need to distract the Lions so that Merla can escape." Haggar turned to Lotor. "Have them send a shuttle down to put her up."

Lotor looked at the witch from the corner of his eye. "Do we really have to?"

Haggar's staff hit the floor with a crack.

Moving to the com unit, Lotor called the hanger bay and had a shuttle dispatched. Personally, he thought they should leave her there. But his wishes were not always those of his father. It was best to err on the side of caution when it came to guessing the King's wishes.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Allura gasped as the Black Lion skidded along the desert rock. "I'm going to go check on him!"

"Wait! Look at that!" Hunk cried out. "It's a robeast!"

Changing her vid view, Allura said, "He looks like the cobras that were in Bocara's room."

"I'm afraid we'll have to leave Keith on his own for just a bit." Lance said as he turned Red Lion to face the Cobra beast. "We have to make sure that thing doesn't turn for the villages east of here."

With a last look at the vid screen of Black Lion, Allura said, "Understood, Lieutenant." She turned Blue Lion into the fray as her thoughts remained with the pilot of Black Lion.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Keith groaned as he sat up and pain shot through his side. "Ahhhh." Then he heard it, the click of a blaster setting being changed.

Merla moved into the prince's line of vision. She too had a hand wrapped around her ribs. They both would be hurting after this battle. "I'm sure you've figured out who I am." She saw him nod. Moving to the console, she changed the vid screen and saw the shuttle was almost there. "I'm sure the potion isn't working anymore and that I have no chance of getting you to go to that shuttle with me."

"No chance at all," Keith said slowly and with pained breathing.

"It's sad really. You and I. We are meant to be together." She looked him over again, as she did when first introduced. However, this time, she didn't try to hide her intent. "You will be mine, Keith Kogane, in every way."

"Keep dreaming, Merla," he ground out. There were no weapons around for him and his magic wasn't responding. Since the team hadn't arrived, he knew that the Drules must have launched some type of attack. Most likely they needed him and here he was stuck with a nutty princess.

"Actually, I think it's your turn to dream." After firing the blaster that had been set to stun, she walked over to the slumped over pilot. There wasn't time for the Doom soldiers to get him out. It was sad really. Quickly she moved to the exit stair and hatch. Jogging across the short distance to the shuttle, she winced with each stride. He would owe her for this, and she looked forward to exacting payment from him.


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

**Rating/Setting: **Rating is T. Setting is DotU but is definitely AU – see challenge info below.

**Response to Cheetoy's KAEX Challenge "A Royal Twist."** "What if Keith was the surviving Arusian Royal Prince and Allura was an Earth born hometown girl turned GA Starpilot? How will the prim and proper Prince deal with falling for a strong-willed GA pilot of no royal line? Sadly, Nanny and Coran insist on a Princess for our dear Kogane... But how shall they deal with the Drule Prince(ss)? Can they find their Happy Ever After?"

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twenty-Three<strong>

"Keith! Prince Keith! Come in!" Lance yelled into the com. The cobra robeast and its energy scythe were kicking their butt. They needed Voltron. He just prayed that the Drule shuttle they saw leave the ground carried only Bocara and not Keith as well. However, the prince hadn't answered for the last two minutes. And two minutes was a very long time in a robeast battle.

The Crown Prince of Arus came to with a blinding headache and Lt. McClain's voice echoing in his head. _Where am I? What happened? _Then it came to him. _Merla._ He didn't even move; he knew she was long gone. Picking himself up off the floor with a very load groan, he moved unsteadily to the command chair and toggled the switch for the com. "Kogane here." His voice didn't even sound like his own - probably the combination of the potion, his magic, and the stun blast. A combination he planned to avoid in the future.

"Crap, Keith! What's going on? No. Wait. Forget that. We need you. Now." Lance's voice came through the com.

If they needed him, they needed Voltron. This was going to be very painful. "On my way, Lieutenant."

"Hurry, Prince, this is one ugly beast!" Hunk called out. "Makes me wish I had a mongoose!"

Keith smiled, "I have no idea what a mongoose is, but I'd be happy to get you one." He began righting the Black Lion and then took off.

"Nah," Pidge called out, "Just get him Rikki Tikki Tavi on video. That will do."

"Done," Keith said. He couldn't contain the groan that escaped his lips before he cut the com.

Silence was on the com. The team knew he was hurt. In fact, they had no idea how badly he was hurt, but they didn't have many options. The Lions just weren't enough for this robeast.

Finally reaching the required altitude, Keith said, "Ready to form Voltron."

The formation process went perfectly and in short order, the Cobra robeast and its energy scythe were both defeated as Voltron slashed it from its left shoulder to its right hip.

"Disengage," Keith said weakly. "Meet… meet you back… at Control."

Lance and Pidge were waiting with Dr. Gorma when Keith's mini-ship came in. Allura and Pidge arrived as Lance and a med-tech were getting an unconscious Keith out of the shuttle. As Allura ran over, Hunk grabbed her arm and shook his head. "They need room."

Allura understood. She would be in the way. They had all heard the pain in his voice after the battle. She couldn't see any blood, but that didn't mean there wasn't internal damage. Her heartbeat quickened. He just couldn't be injured badly. She'd let that woman take him down the hall while she investigated the room. If only she had just followed them, perhaps this could have been prevented.

Dr. Gorma checked his vitals as they moved the hover stretcher toward the elevator. He gave the team a quick glance and said, "Heart and breathing sound good. I'll meet you in the waiting room in MedBay when I'm through with him."

The team nodded and stood speechless for a few minutes. None of them wanted to go back up the shaft so they waited for each other to complete the process on the shuttle level. No one said much as they made their way to the waiting room, a place where they had been earlier with Sven.

When they arrived they found Coran there with his head in his hands. He looked up briefly, no word yet.

Lance glanced at Hunk. Hunk said, "Well, they did just bring him up. It's too early."

Coran stared at the floor as he leaned over with his forearms resting on his thighs. "To think that I pushed him toward that woman." He shook his head. "Never again." His thoughts weren't coming out in complete sentences, but they were thoughts that the team understood.

Lance sat beside him and placed a comforting hand on his back. There wasn't much he could say right now. All they could do was wait.

In just a short while, Dr. Gorma came in and everyone stood. The doctor raised his hands, "The Prince will be fine. He has some bruised ribs and internal organs. There was some kind of drug in his system that has now completely dissipated. It played havoc with his hormones and chemical balances. It was combination of that and the stun blast that knocked him out. His body is trying to reset its systems. The easiest way to do that is through sleep and rest. Obviously, Keith's body didn't think he'd do that on his own, so it took that option away. We've bandaged the ribs and given him pain medicine as well as an IV to help his chemical imbalance. He should be awake in a few hours. I'll page you when he's awake." Gorma glanced around the room. He was pleased he got all that out without being interrupted. "Are there any questions?"

Most shook their heads no, but Allura asked, "Can I see him for a few minutes?"

The doctor looked with curiosity at the female pilot. "Allura, isn't it?" At her nod, he said, "Yes, but I doubt that he will hear anything you say."

"That's okay; I just need to make sure he's all right." Her tone was soft and quiet.

"Follow me then."

The team and Coran watched her go. Lance said, "She feels guilty that she didn't follow them when they left Bocara's room."

Coran shook his head, "She is the reason we have him back. It is I who should feel guilty."

"Nah, you're both wrong," Hunk said. "None of us should feel guilty. That slime that drugged him and tried to kidnap him should feel guilty." Hunk scratched his head. "Who was that woman anyway?"

Coran answered, "I think it was Princess Merla in disguise." Coran heard a curse from the Yellow Lion pilot but the teenager and the lieutenant remained quiet. "Isn't that your conclusion as well, Lieutenant?"

Lance turned from the exit door to the advisor. "I don't know much about the Princess of Doom, except that she's a fierce fighter and usually gets what she wants. Keith is a prince with magic and Voltron. I'm sure that makes him an excellent target for the likes of Merla."

"I agree," Coran said, looking Lance in the eye. "We'll have to watch his security from now on."

Pidge spoke up, "He's going to hate it."

Lance smirked, "Well, he already dislikes me. It will just be one more thing he can add to the list." The mirth was gone from his eyes as he looked at Coran. "I was serious when I said he was one of us. We protect our own."

Coran nodded and left the room. He didn't need any other reassurance. Lance McClain might be rash, but Coran felt he was a man of his word. The Prince of Arus was in good hands.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Allura looked at the man on the medical bed. There were only a few machines hooked up to monitor his vitals and administer the fluids. He had been changed into a hospital gown that was a crisp white. Thankfully, he wasn't as pale as the sheets, but his color was a little off. Walking to the bedside, she hesitantly took his hand in hers. It was lifeless and unresponsive. That was okay, she would still hold it. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she released the torrent of emotions she had pent up inside - her guilt at not preventing his kidnapping and her fear when he didn't answer Lance's calls. Wiping her nose on her sleeve because she had nothing else, she sniffed and blinked quickly. With one last squeeze of his hand, she left his room.

Ever so slowly, the dark eyes of the prince opened and looked intently at the door she had exited.


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

**Rating/Setting: **Rating is T. Setting is DotU but is definitely AU – see challenge info below.

**Response to Cheetoy's KAEX Challenge "A Royal Twist."** "What if Keith was the surviving Arusian Royal Prince and Allura was an Earth born hometown girl turned GA Starpilot? How will the prim and proper Prince deal with falling for a strong-willed GA pilot of no royal line? Sadly, Nanny and Coran insist on a Princess for our dear Kogane... But how shall they deal with the Drule Prince(ss)? Can they find their Happy Ever After?"

**Author's Note:** Okay, so I decided to upload a second chapter today. Call it being stir crazy from being trapped at home with 6yo for 3 days because of the weather. I have played countless games of UNO, dominoes, matching games, checkers, and built a marble tower thing. I'm tired. Thankfully, he does allow me to have shorts writing stints which have allowed me to write quite a few chapters over the last few days. Oh, and we're home tomorrow too.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twenty-Four<strong>

Two days had passed since Merla had tried to kidnap Keith. During this time, the remaining cobras in the guest room had been killed and everything put back in order. Luckily, the bomb in Merla's fighter had been low yield and had only damaged the immediate area. Keith had told the team and Coran what he remembered of his encounters with the Drule princess. However, he left out Merla's last speech to him in the Lion. He knew what her innuendos meant, but he didn't want to go there with Coran… or the Alliance team for that matter.

The team was currently sitting in the Rec Room just taking some time to relax. The time for relaxing though, was about to end. Lance had promised Coran that he would address personal security with the prince. He was hoping that by talking about it in an informal manner, the prince might be more agreeable to it. Clearing his throat, Lance began carefully, "Prince Keith, Coran and I were.. . I mean are… concerned about your personal safety." _Crap_, Lance thought, _how does Sven make this seem so easy? _Clearing his throat again in an effort to buy himself some time, he continued, "We just feel that we need to talk about how to protect you-"

Keith had been staring at Lance as he fumbled his words and then broke in. "Protect me? I'm capable of protecting myself."

Raising both eyebrows, Lance said, "Your bruised ribs say else wise, your Highness. We just want to work on preventing another kidnapping attempt."

"We're on guard now. They know we're on guard-"

This time Lance broke in. "We need to have plans in place. Security measure for in the castle and when you go outside." The lieutenant tried to keep his tone patient, but some annoyance was slipping through.

Keith leaned back on the couch and crossed his arms. "I will NOT be followed around. I CAN take care of myself."

The team was watching the verbal volleys like a tennis match. Heads turned from one man to the other as they responded.

"Okay, Prince Keith, how about this," Lance began but was interrupted by Hunk.

"Um, Lance, maybe you should think through whatever you're about to say." Hunk looked nervously between the two men.

Waving off Hunk, Lance said, "I've got this big guy." Turning his attention back to Keith, he said, "Prove to me you can protect yourself."

Keith raised an eyebrow at him. "Prove to you? How?"

Leaning back in his chair and putting his hands behind his head, Lance said, "Fight me. Show me you can take on someone with training and win."

"I'm injured," Keith said, as he leaned forward in interest. "It wouldn't be fair."

"I'll wait until you feel you're ready," Lance said with a smile.

"What kind of fight?" Keith asked, looking at Lance intensely.

"Oh, I don't know. Boxing. Wrestling." Laughing a little, Lance said, "Heck, I'll let you pick. We'll do three five minute rounds. Best two out of three wins."

Keith nodded. "Okay. I agree to that. I'd also like to challenge you to duel with lazon swords."

Looking perplexed, Lance said, "Why would you want to do that?"

"Well, I'm pretty good and the Drules are known to prefer fighting with lazon swords when in close quarters." Keith acted nonchalant about the matter. "Let's say we fight until one of us is disarmed."

Lance was becoming suspicious now. However, he had challenged the prince. It was only fair to give the prince a chance in something he might be good at. Lazon sword wasn't his best; he was a blaster or rifle kind of guy. However, he was decent with the sword. Carefully, he responded, "Okay."

Standing, Keith said, "I'm thinking it will be sometime next week. I'll get an okay from the doc before we spar."

As Keith moved toward the door, Lance said, "Hey, what style of fighting do you want to do?"

Keith looked thoughtful and said, "I believe on earth you call it mixed-martial arts." He then turned and walked out, but not before the team saw the small smile on Keith's face.

Pidge stared at the door. "Why do I think you are going to get more than you bargained for, Lance?"

No longer as confidant as he was, Lance said, "Sure he's muscular, but anyone can get that from lifting weights."

"Sure, I'm sure that's it," Hunk said in a non-convinced voice.

A nervous silence filled the room. Finally, Allura said, "Why don't you call Coran and tell him the plan. He can let us know if Prince Keith might be hiding something."

Nodding, Lance called Coran on the com and asked him to come to the rec room. When the advisor arrived, Lance filled him in on the plan. Keith would agree to protection if Lance bested him fighting or with the lazon sword.

Coran groaned and dropped on the couch. "Lieutenant, why would you agree to such a thing?"

Looking confused, Lance said, "He hasn't had any training. I should be able to beat him."

For a moment, a look of anger came across Coran's face. "Really, Lieutenant? No training?"

Belatedly, Lance remembered that Coran had been a Master-at-Arms for the King and had been training Keith the last eight years. "I didn't mean to imply-"

"Actually, I believe you did. But that is okay. I know you see me as an old man, but I have a few surprises in my past." Coran stood and motioned Lance to do the same. Moving the small table between them, Coran said, "Just stand still, Lance, I promise I won't hurt you."

Looking perplexed, Lance said, "What do-" His mouth closed quickly as Coran performed a roundhouse kick at head height that would have knocked him out if it had connected. Instead, Coran's boot passed his face in a blur. Lance's mouth hung open.

Coran looked at Lance, "Prince Keith knows how to fight." Shaking his head, "As for the lazon sword, Keith has been teaching me how to fight with it for the last eight years. King Alfor was a master and he trained his son. Keith is a sword-master at the highest level." Coran patted Lance on the shoulder. "You _may_ take him in the hand-to-hand, but you'll never win the sword challenge."

Watching Coran leave, Allura turned to Lance with a smile. "Who knew that Coran could kick so high?"

Lance had no words to answer as he acknowledged to himself that he had walked into a trap that he himself made.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Keith's small smile faded as he walked away from the Rec Room. Security. Being followed constantly. He hated the thought. He knew why they wanted to do it. It was obvious that Doom wanted to take him alive. Granted, he hadn't shown them that he was capable of taking care of himself. First the battle with Haggar that left Sven severely injured and now the run-in with Merla where he was almost taken captive. Yeah, he was sure he seemed quite incapable to the Lieutenant. However, he really wasn't. He didn't believe that he could take Lance in the fighting challenge, after all, the man was trained by the best at Garrison. However, he did believe that Coran was a capable teacher and that he would acquit himself well. The small smile returned as he thought about the sword challenge. His father had trained him and while the lieutenant was most likely the better marksman, there was no way he'd be defeated by him with a sword.

The underground chambers of the castle were cool and the lights lit the passages as he walked. He needed to speak with his father. There were things he wanted to know and he hoped his father could shed some light on things. Entering the crypt, Keith surveyed the room. In a way, he was surprised that his father was not already there. But it didn't matter; he climbed the steps and sat down, leaning his back against the cold stone. Closing his eyes, he thought_, father, I need to speak with you_. He leaned his head back against the stone as he waited.

"What do you need, Keith?" Alfor's voice was close by.

Keith opened his eyes and turned his head slightly. King Alfor sat in a similar manner leaning against his own tomb. The prince found it somewhat macabre, but then, this was the way of things with witches, ghosts, and magic. "I saw you in the Lion. You know what is going on."

"Yes."

"They'll come back for me won't they?" Keith asked in a resigned tone.

"Yes. You are a prince with magic and Voltron. They are things that the Drules of Doom covet. They will come for all those things and more." Alfor's voice was equally resigned.

"More? What more do I have?" Keith asked as he looked at his father.

"Wealth."

Keith burst out laughing. "Father, I know there are some things in the castle that are of value, but-"

"Keith, listen to me. Arus has wealth stored on Earth and other planets- investments and valuable assets. They were stored there for such a time as this."

"But why? We could have used that money to rebuild instead of living underground and hiding from Zarkon. Why didn't you let us know sooner?" The prince asked in confusion.

"Because, Keith, Arus was in utter chaos for almost five years as people grieved. Many died in the battle with Doom. Coran struggled to keep a semblance of government across the planet. We had no fleet. The pilots that had been prepared to fly the Lions were all dead. Who or what would have protected Arus if money and goods had been sent to rebuild? Who would have stopped Zarkon from devastating our world all over again?"

Keith looked away from his father's pleading eyes as he whispered his answer. "No one."

"That is right. This is why now is the time. There are pilots to fly the Lions and protect what we invest in. People have had time to bury their dead, grieve, and look forward to building a new future. It is time to help them turn their dreams into reality. You will help them do that." Alfor's voice was strong and confident.

"Where are the accounts? How will I know what to do?" Keith no longer questioned that the money was there, he just didn't know how to use it.

"Look in the files associated with Eleanor on the main system. You will find them hidden there. Your young friend, Pidge, will be able to locate them. Coran and the governors will be able to assist you in determining what to sell, what to invest and what to buy. Surround yourself with capable people." Alfor looked at his son with a pleased expression. "All will be well, my son."

Keith nodded at the king as he began to fade. He realized that he hadn't had a chance to ask him his other main concern: Allura. Duty and honor said he should find a princess or Queen who would be able to help the planet rebuild and provide them with assistance. His heart said that he wanted to get to know the Blue Lion pilot better. He knew what Coran's answer would be to the question about Allura, but he wanted to ask his father. Letting out a sigh, he stood and headed for the door with question still lurking in his mind.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Extra AN:** Okay, I PROMISE it won't be fighting that goes on for chapters. But yes, once again, MMA and sword-fighting have once again crept into my story. I promise the amount will be small. ;-D_


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

**Rating/Setting: **Rating is T. Setting is DotU but is definitely AU – see challenge info below.

**Response to Cheetoy's KAEX Challenge "A Royal Twist."** "What if Keith was the surviving Arusian Royal Prince and Allura was an Earth born hometown girl turned GA Starpilot? How will the prim and proper Prince deal with falling for a strong-willed GA pilot of no royal line? Sadly, Nanny and Coran insist on a Princess for our dear Kogane... But how shall they deal with the Drule Prince(ss)? Can they find their Happy Ever After?"

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twenty-Five<strong>

All was as King Alfor said. With the information that Keith gave him, Pidge was able to search the core for the files they needed to access the wealth Arus had stored away off-planet.

Coran looked with a slack jaw at the amount of money that they now had access to. His eyes shifted to Keith, "It's amazing, Keith. This is just what we need to bring Arus back."

With a glazed look, Keith said, "How did you never know?"

Looking back at the numbers on the screen, Coran said, "At the time of the last battle, I was not privy to the royal account. Of course we all knew there were accounts off-planet. However, with so much battle damage and the royal advisors killed or captured in the battle… we assumed all knowledge of the account locations was lost."

"It was an assumption that I'm glad proved to be wrong," Keith said softly.

"As am I, my Prince. I'll contact the provincial governors and see about starting a new advisory council. There are many that are still alive that have knowledge we can use. They will just need to update their knowledge and then we'll be ready to make informed decisions." He turned and smiled at Keith. "The governors and people of Arus will be excited by the news. Once we have some contacts and have begun to place orders and so forth, we should have a ball."

All the eyes of the Alliance team and Keith turned to Coran.

Lance cleared his throat and said, "Did you say 'a ball?'"

Chuckling, Coran said, "Indeed I did say a ball, young man! It will be just the thing to show the other worlds and governments that we are once again credible on the galactic stage."

Lance noticed that Keith was unusually quiet as he stated. "Um, Coran, being able to protect yourself shows others that you credible."

Waving a hand in the air as if to dismiss the lieutenant's statement he said, "Voltron has done that for us. A ball will give us a chance to form alliances with dignitaries and provide information on what Arus can offer in the way of trade agreements."

Looking from Coran to Keith, Hunk asked, "What do you think, Keith?" Then glancing quickly at the frowning advisor, he amended, "Uh, Prince Keith?"

Keith kept his eyes on the data on the screen as he carefully said, "I think working with other planets to discuss trade agreements and purchases to help the people will be very helpful."

Waving both hands in the air, Coran smiled with triumph, "See! The prince agrees. I'll speak with Matron Hilda about beginning the preparations for a ball in three or four month's time." Clapping Keith on the back he added, "We'll be sure to ask some planetary rulers with eligible daughters to attend as well." It was obvious to everyone but Coran, that Keith stiffened in reaction. Coran however, was busy with the data and barely noticed when Keith left.

Lance walked over to the royal advisor and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"What? Hmmm?" Coran said absently.

Lance said, "Coran?"

"Yes, my boy?"

"Look at me," Lance said using his command tone. This got the advisor's attention and he stood up straight and looked at the young lieutenant.

"I'm sorry, Lance. It's just so incredible. I didn't mean to be rude." Coran's attention was now completely on Lance.

Lance quickly glanced over his shoulder and saw Hunk and Pidge working on the computers, but Allura was staring at the door that Keith had used to exit. Turning back to Coran, Lance said, "It's only been a few days since Merla tried to kidnap the prince. What happened to your pledge of 'never again?' You're doing it again." His tone was serious.

"Is that what you think? That I'm trying to push the prince into a marriage?"

"Well, when you talk about balls and eligible daughters what else is he to think?" Lance asked with irritation.

Coran looked to the exit. "You mean he thinks that?"

Lance nodded, "Yep. We ALL think that."

The advisor's brows knitted together as he processed that. "Well. I didn't mean an immediate marriage. After that fiasco with Bocara-Merla, I won't push him toward another princess without more investigation."

Lance smacked his forehead with his hand. "Are you telling me that you still expect him to marry a princess?"

Looking offended, Coran said, "Of course. He's a prince and will soon be king. Of course he should marry a princess or queen. It is his duty."

Shaking his head, Lance only said as he turned and walked away, "No wonder he walked away. Stupidity."

Coran would have been offended if Lance had been Arusian. As it was, he chalked it up to the off-worlders not understanding their ways. Keith knew his duty to his people and would do what was right.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Keith stood outside the door to the crypt. He had just spoken to his father yesterday. Was it too soon to call upon him again? Drawing a deep breath, he entered the room. It didn't matter. He needed to speak to his father.

Once again, it wasn't long before the late king appeared to speak with his son and heir. "You're troubled, Keith." It was a statement, not a question.

Keith looked away from his father and moved uneasily from one foot to another. "Coran thinks we should have a ball in a few months to work on forging alliances and trade agreements. He says having the ball will add credibility to us with other planets and governments."

The king looked appraisingly at his son. There was more to this than trade agreements. "Coran is right. A ball after the rebuilding process has started is a good idea. If it is done well and without ostentation, it will go far in restoring our standing."

Keith kept his eyes down. It was uncharacteristic of him to be so reticent but he couldn't help it. "So you think it's a good idea." It wasn't a question. Gathering his courage, he said, "He also wants to be sure to invite rulers who have eligible daughters." Keith's eyes darted up as his father replied.

"Ahhhhh, now I see what has been troubling you." Alfor chuckled a little. "You are afraid they will want you to get married."

Nodding, Keith said, "Yes. I'm sure both he and Matron Hilda will push for it."

A smile was still on his lips as Alfor replied, "But, Keith, they can't make you do anything you don't want to do."

A flicker of hope began to form in Keith's eyes as he responded, "No, they can't make me. But they go on and on about my duty-"

Loud laughter issued from Alfor. "Ah, yes, _duty_. I have had that spoken to me as well. Actually, it was right before I asked your mother to marry me." Seeing the questioning look from his son, he continued on. "Eleanor was of noble birth, but she was of a much lesser family. My mother hoped that I would look higher, perhaps even to a princess from off-world. In the end, they accepted my choice." The smile was still on his face as he ended his short tale.

"But what if the woman you were thinking of marrying wasn't even a noble woman?" Keith asked carefully.

Alfor studied his son carefully. The only female that would possibly be the object of his interest was the Alliance pilot, Allura. "Duty is something to be considered. But so is love. But whatever you choose, it needs to be something you can live with. If you can't, then your life and that of your Queen will be ill-fated."

"Thank you, father." Keith said. "You've given me a lot to think about."

Alfor nodded and then faded into nothing.

Keith sank to the floor. His father would support whatever decision he made; he knew that now. But Coran, Hilda, the provincial governors… they would want a princess with something to offer Arus. The prince leaned over to rest his head on his knees. He groaned a little as his ribs and bruised muscles protested the position. _I've known her for less than a month. For Arus, I need to consider all the options. _Standing, with yet another groan, Keith left the burial chamber. His mind said to consider the options while his heart told him there wasn't any option but Allura…


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

**Rating/Setting: **Rating is T. Setting is DotU but is definitely AU – see challenge info below.

**Response to Cheetoy's KAEX Challenge "A Royal Twist."** "What if Keith was the surviving Arusian Royal Prince and Allura was an Earth born hometown girl turned GA Starpilot? How will the prim and proper Prince deal with falling for a strong-willed GA pilot of no royal line? Sadly, Nanny and Coran insist on a Princess for our dear Kogane... But how shall they deal with the Drule Prince(ss)? Can they find their Happy Ever After?"

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twenty-Six<strong>

The week went by quickly and once the prince had his okay from Dr. Gorma, the match was set up. The martial arts challenge would be first and then the sword fighting.

Lance had been spending extra time in the gym and would stop working out whenever the prince would come in. He had seen Keith smile when he stopped, but no need to give the prince any more info on his fighting style. As for Prince Keith, Lance hadn't seen him work out or anything. True, he had been injured, but he had to be doing something. It made him a little nervous not knowing. But now, time had run out.

Because they didn't want knowledge of the prince's ability (or lack thereof) to get out, only the team and Coran were attending the challenge in the gym.

Both men eyed each other carefully as they waited to be told to begin. Physically, they were very similar in build. Keith was maybe an inch taller than Lance, but that was it. As for weight, they probably weighed within ten pounds of each other. Both were dressed in mid-thigh shorts that weren't fitted but weren't very loose either and their hands were encased in fingerless gloves.

Hunk let out a deep breath, his eyes glued to the two men as they began to circle each other. "This is not going to be pretty."

Concerned blue eyes flickered to Hunk and then back to the two men. "You don't think they'll really hurt each other do you?"

"You've got to be kidding me." Hunk said as he looked at Allura as if she had grown a second head. "You saw Lance fight at the Academy."

"Yeah, but, Keith's a prince-" she began somewhat hesitantly.

"Ha!" Pidge said from her other side. "He may be a prince, but he looks like he knows what he's doing. If Coran was truthful, he'll be capable of doing some damage."

"And he feels he needs to prove a point with the lieutenant." Hunk finished as Coran indicated it was time to start the match.

Allura's eyes grew wide, "So Keith will do his best to take Lance down and Lance will be looking to put him in his place."

"Yep," Hunk said as Keith went for a takedown. The prince was successful and Hunk grunted at the fall that Lance took to the mat. "The lieutenant knows that Keith needs to have a security detail and he'll do whatever is necessary to prove it to him.

Allura looked with concern on the two men she considered her friends out on the mats. Lance would do whatever it took… Yes, Hunk was correct; this wasn't going to be pretty.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

At the end of two rounds, it was a tie. Keith had taken Lance in the first round, but the Garrison grad had used that round to size up his opponent and his tactics. By doing so, Lance had taken the second round. The winner of the fight would be determined in the final round which only had a couple of minutes left. It's was anyone's guess who would win.

Lance eyed the surprisingly capable prince. After the match, he would speak to Coran about helping with the training of the team. Obviously the royal advisor had been good at his original assignment of Man at Arms during King Alfor's reign. But right now Lance needed to focus on the prince. Keith needed to know that he was in danger and needed to have security. The match was about even and he needed to do something to turn the tide in his favor. Then it came to him… and he hated it, but he knew he had to do it. Prince Keith had to realize that he needed some protection. He had to realize that the enemy wouldn't fight fair. That meant that he wouldn't either. Lance looked behind Keith and frowned and then started moving forward, but not toward Keith.

Keith knew that Coran was behind him, was something wrong with Coran?

That's all it took for Lance. The prince lost focus and turned to glance behind him and Lance shifted his direction on a dime. Managing to get a leg sweep in before the prince regained his focus, Lance dropped Keith to the floor.

The realization that Lance had tricked him came too late to Keith. In addition, when it did come, it came with anger that further clouded his judgment. When he rolled to his side, Lance was immediately there, wrapping him up in a rear choke hold. As he started losing consciousness, he tapped on Lance's arm signaling that he was giving up. He moved to the side and caught his breath for a moment. Turning a murderous glare on the Alliance lieutenant, he said, "You cheated."

Lance stood and began taking off the gloves. Green eyes turned to angry brown ones as he answered. "No, I misdirected you. I never said a word. You made the call to drop your guard."

The prince stood as well, but kept his distance. "Misdirected, cheated, tricked – they're all the same."

Holding both of his gloves in one hand, Lance patiently said, "No, they're not. If you think that your adversaries won't try to trick you or misdirect you, you are sorely mistaken."

Keith knew he made sense, but he didn't like it and he wasn't ready to admit it.

"He's right you know," Hunk said walking up. The large pilot knew that Keith liked him and he hoped that friendliness would help take the edge off the situation now.

Striping off his own gloves, Keith walked between the two men toward the locker room. "It doesn't matter now."

Coran had been quiet to this point. As they all looked at the door of the locker room, Coran said, "I know why you did it and he'll come around." He waited for Lance to turn toward him before continuing, "But Lieutenant, you should be prepared to be routed in the next contest. Even angry, he will wipe the floor with you." A small smile turned up the corners of Coran's lips.

"Um, we are using wooden swords, right? Not the real thing?" Lance asking jokingly.

The smile was still on Coran's face as he said, "Actually they are made of a special composite material that we make here on Arus. The uniform that you wear will be coded to respond to the exact composite make-up of Keith's sword and his uniform coded to your sword. When his sword comes in contact with your uniform, a red mark will appear on your uniform where he struck you. Your own sword won't mark your own suit at all."

Pidge walked over and said, "Sounds a little high tech."

"Not really," Coran said. "It just a simple matter of sensor coding. We just happen to have these and sports type equipment because a lot of that was stored below the cavern where the former gym was located in the castle."

"Make sense," Allura said. "The old castle didn't look like it was built to have gym facilities. I can see where they might have built them in the lower levels as time passed."

"Indeed, Allura," Coran said with a smile. Looking over at Lance, he said, "You better head on in young man and get ready. I'm sure that Prince Keith will be ready to go in just a bit."

Feeling slightly uncertain, Lance only nodded as he headed toward the locker room. When he entered it, he saw that Keith was coming out of the shower. Yeah, rinsing off the sweat from the fight was probably a good idea. He opened his mouth to say something but stopped when the prince beat him to it.

"I'm not in the frame of mind for a 'buddy talk.'" Keith grabbed his uniform that was hanging next to the one that had been found for Lance and moved to a different section of the room.

_Yeah, this is going to take some time for the prince to get over_, Lance thought as he stepped into the shower.

_Fifteen minutes into the sword match…_

Allura looked at the two men who were once again circling each other. The agreement had been for Lance and the prince to fight until one of them was disarmed. It had been obvious less than five minutes into the match that Prince Keith could probably disarm Lance any time he wanted. But he didn't. He was drawing it out. Keith was trying to prove a point. He had proved that he was a master at the sword, but he also proved that he really did have a temper. Allura looked at Keith's pristine white uniform and then over to Lance's red streaked one. Lance hadn't landed a blow to the prince while Keith had landed multiple blows in multiple places. In a real lazon fight, Keith would be hacking Lance into pieces, and she wasn't sure how she felt about the point he was making.

The room was quiet except for their breathing. Keith watched Lance with a wary eye. It was time to end the match. He had proved he could land blows at will wherever he wanted. He didn't need misdirection to win. Keith struck at Lance and Lance lifted his sword with his arm extended out. Keith moved in as he pushed down with his blade causing Lance's blade to become more horizontal. The prince then quickly placed his free hand around Lance's hand at the base of the hilt. Rotating his hand and Lance's, he forced Lance to release his grip on the sword. As he released it, Keith neatly slid his hand around Lance's sword hilt. The lieutenant's sword was now in Keith's hand and basically followed the line of his arm pointing toward the prince's own back. Lance straightened himself as Keith flipped the extra sword so that he held it correctly in his hand. Keith bowed to his commander and then tossed both swords to the side.

Everyone watched as the prince left the room without another word.

It was Coran's voice that cut through the silence and the sound of the lieutenant's breathing. "Give him a couple of hours to cool off."

Lance leaned over to place his hand on his knees. His breath was still somewhat quick. "Don't worry. I'll give him the time." Looking over to Coran, Lance saw that the advisor was smiling. "And yes, Coran, he is a master." Righting himself, he left for the locker room shower as the other teammates whispered about what happened.

Hunk, Pidge, and Allura watched Lance leave. Their quiet conversation centered around what would happen between the prince and Lance now. They had just begun to get along. Now this. Would Prince Keith be able to let it go?


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

**Rating/Setting: **Rating is T. Setting is DotU but is definitely AU – see challenge info below.

**Response to Cheetoy's KAEX Challenge "A Royal Twist."** "What if Keith was the surviving Arusian Royal Prince and Allura was an Earth born hometown girl turned GA Starpilot? How will the prim and proper Prince deal with falling for a strong-willed GA pilot of no royal line? Sadly, Nanny and Coran insist on a Princess for our dear Kogane... But how shall they deal with the Drule Prince(ss)? Can they find their Happy Ever After?"

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twenty-Seven<strong>

It was several hours later that Lance found himself once again in the gym. The computer had told him it was empty except for Prince Keith. Drawing a deep breath he steeled himself for whatever was to come. Would the prince still be angry? Would he get a heated argument or a cold shoulder? He prayed that he could keep his own temper in check if things became tense. His body throbbed with aches and pains… he hadn't taken anything to lessen them. He needed to be reminded, at least for today, of what had happened. Lance knew that he had more bruises than the prince because of the sword fighting. Prince Keith had landed several blows that caused the lieutenant to feel like he was being hit with a baton. Cautiously, he triggered the sensor for the door.

Keith watched as the door to the gym slid open as he sat on the floor with his back against the far wall; he knew it would be the lieutenant entering. Once he confirmed that, he went back to flipping the small dagger he held over and over. It was comforting to feel the familiar weight of the blade in his hand. There was no intent to intimidate anyone, it was a comfort thing. However, he saw Lance eyeing the blade warily. Had he really been so boorish at the challenge that the lieutenant actually felt in danger? The prince didn't think so, but he put the blade on the floor beside him. "Good afternoon, Lieutenant."

The room seemed extremely large with just the two of them in here talking. But he didn't want to suggest moving to a different location. Lance was glad that the prince had put down the knife. It wasn't that he expected the younger man to throw it at him. But flipping knives around during a discussion that was tense wasn't the best idea. Lance walked over and sat down against the wall a couple of feet away from Keith. "Good afternoon, Prince Keith."

In a monotone voice, Keith asked, "Are you here to tell me about my security detail?"

"Well, for starters, I think security detail is too strong of a term for what I have in mind." Lance said casually.

"So what do you have in mind, Lieutenant?"

Lance sighed internally; the formal title indicated the prince's mood. "Inside the castle, you will have no security detail. If you leave the castle and just stay on the island, then it would be best if you notified security so they could monitor the area and keep tabs on your com." Now for the difficult part. "If you leave the castle island, you should have one of the team with you. If it is for an event in a village or town, you should have a minimum of two team members. The number of other security officers can be decided by you, Coran, and myself."

Looking over to Lance, Keith asked, "I assume if I am out on patrol in Black that I won't need a teammate with me."

Lance thought for just a moment. "No, you should be safe enough in the Lion but getting out to investigate anything on foot should wait until back-up has arrived."

Relaxing a little, Keith decided he could live with it. He didn't like it, but then again, he didn't like being at Merla's mercy either. As for not investigating anything on his own without back-up… well, he'd make that decision when it happened. "All right."

Lance was momentarily speechless. "All right?" He finally sputtered out. "What? You're not going to argue?"

Smiling, Keith looked at him and said, "Would you like for me to argue with you?"

"No. Of course not. It's just after earlier…" Lance grimaced as he saw a shadow pass over the prince's face.

"You made your point earlier. Obviously, I trusted you too much. Don't worry, I won't make that mistake again." Keith stood and began to walk to the exit sheaving the dagger at his side.

Lance stood and called after Keith. "At least there's a benefit to the security."

Stopping, Keith asked, "What is that?"

"I'll be sure to assign Allura first."

"No." Keith said while still facing the exit.

Moving up to stand behind Keith, Lance asked, "Why not? I thought…"

"What is the purpose of the security detail?" Keith asked without pause.

"To keep you safe, to protect you." Lance didn't know where he was going with this question.

"And if what you think is true, how would you ever expect me to let her put herself in harm's way for me?" Keith's voice had grown quiet. He could feel the presence of the other man behind him but there was no movement.

The light bulb flashed on for Lance. "I understand. I won't schedule her for individual security, but will include her in large security details. Just know, she's going to want an answer when she figures out she doesn't do single security. What should I tell her?"

"Tell her it was my request."

"She'll be livid."

Keith shrugged. "Send her to me. I'll give her an answer." Though he didn't see it, he felt Lance's acceptance. Perhaps he sensed it because of the magic. "I'm going to work on some projects and plans for purchasing some new equipment. The people are excited that we will be working to rebuild the Bridge of Chozzerai . Please make my excuses at dinner. I'll eat in my office tonight." Without waiting for any response, the prince walked from the room.

Lance ran his fingers through his hair. His talk with Prince Keith went better than he expected, but now he would have to keep Allura in line. He let out a whistle as it all sank in. The prince did have feelings for Allura. But why wasn't he doing anything about them? As he walked out of the gym, he continued to ponder this question. At least he did until he passed a couple of the custodial staff whispering excitedly about the ball that was being planned to coincide with the Prince's birthday. Then it hit him: the ball… the eligible daughters of planetary rulers… the duty of the Prince of Arus. He whistled out loud again as he shook his head in frustration.


	28. Chapter 28

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

**Rating/Setting: **Rating is T. Setting is DotU but is definitely AU – see challenge info below.

**Response to Cheetoy's KAEX Challenge "A Royal Twist."** "What if Keith was the surviving Arusian Royal Prince and Allura was an Earth born hometown girl turned GA Starpilot? How will the prim and proper Prince deal with falling for a strong-willed GA pilot of no royal line? Sadly, Nanny and Coran insist on a Princess for our dear Kogane... But how shall they deal with the Drule Prince(ss)? Can they find their Happy Ever After?"

**Author's Note:** This chapter and the next are tied to DotU Episode 16: The Bridge Over the River Chozzerai. No copyright infringement intended for some direct quotes. Everything is to tie the story to canon and nothing else. No profit is being made from this, but hopefully some fun is being had. :-)

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twenty-Eight<strong>

Two months passed with only one robeast attack that was easily fought off. The Death Fleet though, was still stationed at Doom and the Alliance was holding off on having Voltron attack it. In the meantime, on Arus, things were looking up for the people. Not only had shipments of food and seed for planting arrived, but heavy equipment for building had also come. While the people were still uncertain of living constantly in the open in large groups, they were rebuilding commercial facilities and markets. Underground construction was a top priority to provide the populace with safe, up-to-date facilities for the times when they would need to seek shelter.

One of the first large reconstructions was the Bridge over the River Chozzerai. The dedication ceremony was in a few days and the prince was to participate. His stomach was churning as he told the team the legend behind the bridge. They all thought it was a wonderful story and that it was great that there would be a reenactment. However, Keith hadn't reached the difficult part yet.

"I think the legend behind the bridge is beautiful," Pidge said.

"Yeah," Lance said, "It's great that the prince gets to run from one side to meet some lucky girl in the middle. Then get to be all icky-sticky with no fathers getting upset." He was joking as he said it, but he saw the fear in Keith's eyes and watched as the prince ran a finger between his collar and neck. "So who's the lucky girl?"

Keith's eyes darted to Allura. "Well, um, the people whose villages the bridge will unite would like for Allura to play the part of the young girl. It seems she made quite an impression on them when she helped with Blue Lion during the construction."

The young pilot's eyes widen as she looked from Keith to Lance. Her face blushed bright red as she stuttered, "Well, um, I, um…"

Misinterpreting her nervousness, Keith said, "It's okay if you don't want to Allura. I just needed to ask. I'll let the-"

"Wait!" Allura almost yelled, causing a fresh wash of red to suffuse her cheeks. "I'd be happy to participate. I mean, I don't want to disappoint the people."

Lance couldn't tell if Keith were happy, scared or a combination.

"Well, okay. I'll go let them know now."

After Keith left, Allura could feel the scrutiny of her teammates focused on her. Turning to face them, she tilted her head haughtily and asked, "Was there something you wanted to ask?"

All three men smiled and said no. However, they were snickering.

"Well, it would have to be me if it were one of the team. I mean, none of you wanted to kiss Keith on the bridge did you?" That question had the desired effect she wanted. They quickly shut up, although they still smiled. But then, she couldn't help but smile herself.

Ever since Lance and Keith had that fight, she hadn't been around the prince much except for practicing with the Lions or in the gym. So far, she hadn't pulled any individual security with him, just group outings where the whole team went. Come to think of it. Keith was supposed to go look at the bridge tomorrow. It would probably just be a two man team for security. Everyone else had had at least one individual or double outing with the prince since the security protocol was put into place. She smiled even more as she walked over to check the detail, fully expecting her name. Her brow furrowed as she looked to see Hunk's and Pidge's names written by the trip for tomorrow. Turning, she placed her hands on her hips and looked at Lance.

Lance had been talking with Hunk when he caught Allura's angry expression. The duty roster. She had probably seen it and figured out she wasn't pulling individual duty again. _Awful timing for her to figure it out_, he thought. Excusing himself from the conversation with Hunk, Lance walked over to Allura. "Problem, Lieutenant?"

"Problem?" she asked. "Why yes, Lieutenant, I have a problem. I checked the schedule for the security patrol for tomorrow. Is there a reason I've been left out of the rotation?"

"It's just a security detail," Lance said as he tried to calm the situation.

"Then it should be easy to fix. I'll take Hunk's place," she said and went to make the change in the computer. However, she hadn't even gotten her fingers on the keys when Lance took her arm.

"Wait. Don't change it. You aren't assigned to single or double security coverage at the request of the prince." Lance said softly.

"Why?" Allura's tone was equally quiet.

"Keith said to ask him if you wanted an answer."

"Oh." Allura looked at him thoughtfully. Then as she thought about it, she got angry. "It's because I'm woman right? He doesn't want to look weak in front of his subjects. That's it, isn't it?"

"Come on, Allura, you know the prince better than that. He's not like that."

Somewhat mollified, Allura said, "Well, it still doesn't explain why he doesn't want me to be on the detail."

"Then ask him yourself." Lance kept his voice calm. He'd need to let the prince know that she would be coming.

"I think I will," Allura said as she marched out.

"What bee got in her bonnet?" Pidge asked.

"I can't say, but I'm pretty sure someone is about to get stung." Lance said with a smile. He just hoped that it brought their feelings out into the open instead of turning them against each other.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Allura tracked Keith down in his royal office. After entering the room she stood with her hands on her hips and looked at him with an arched brown.

Looking up from his data pad, Keith asked, "Is there something you need, Lieutenant?"

"Why don't you want me working individual or double security detail? Is it because I'm a woman?"

"No! Of course not! You're more than capable of handing security." Keith stood. He had been planning for this moment of confrontation, but now that it was here, he could hardly remember his plan.

"Then why, pray tell?"

Keith moved to the full length window behind his desk. He gazed out over the peaceful landscape and gathered his thoughts. "If there was danger, I'd never be able to leave you to handle it."

Moving closer, Allura said, "Because I'm a woman."

"No." Keith drew a deep breath and turned from the window to look at her. "Not because you are a woman, because I'd never be able to live with myself if you were hurt or killed protecting me."

"It's sounding like it's because I'm a woman and you feel the need to protect me. Obviously, you don't have this same concern about any of the guys." Allura crossed her arms and glared at the prince.

Keith couldn't help but smile, "Well, you're right in a way." He heard her sniff in disdain. Walking over to stand within an arm's length, he said, "I care about the guys and would be very upset if something happened to any of them. But you're right; it's _not_ the same concern." He reached to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear, "It's because I don't care about them in the same way that I care about you."

Allura's breath caught in her throat as his fingers brushed the shell of her ear. Her heart felt like it was going to burst from her chest.

Two sets of eyes locked, as he whispered, "Just know it's not that I doubt your capabilities as a soldier, it's my own fears as a man." His hand dropped from the side of her head and he moved past her to walk out of the room. The door hissed softly closed behind him.

Allura sank to a chair with weak knees. _He cares for me. Why won't he say it? Why didn't he kiss me?_ Then just as Lance had, she remembered the pressure on him as the Crown Prince of Arus. Dropping her head into her hands, she realized she might have to fight for him if they were to be together. She just prayed he was willing to fight for her as well.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_On Planet Doom…_

Haggar looked into the swirling images in front of her. A special ceremony was going to happen – one involving the Prince. It appeared that the team would be separated. It was a perfect time to capture him. She turned to leave when an image caught her eye. Turning back to the images, she froze one. It was one of the future ceremony. It was the Prince kissing the female pilot… the attractive blonde pilot with the blue eyes. _Hmmmmm, perhaps Merla and Lotor can work together for a common cause this time. If both Drule siblings can work together, then maybe this time I will capture the Arusian prince and his magic._ With an evil smile on her lips, she left her chambers.


	29. Chapter 29

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

**Rating/Setting: **Rating is T. Setting is DotU but is definitely AU – see challenge info below.

**Response to Cheetoy's KAEX Challenge "A Royal Twist."** "What if Keith was the surviving Arusian Royal Prince and Allura was an Earth born hometown girl turned GA Starpilot? How will the prim and proper Prince deal with falling for a strong-willed GA pilot of no royal line? Sadly, Nanny and Coran insist on a Princess for our dear Kogane... But how shall they deal with the Drule Prince(ss)? Can they find their Happy Ever After?"

**Author's Note:** This chapter and the previous one are tied to DotU Episode 16: The Bridge Over the River Chozzerai. No copyright infringement intended for some direct quotes. Everything is to tie the story to canon and nothing else. No profit is being made from this, but hopefully some fun is being had. :-)

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twenty-Nine<strong>

The Alliance team was assembled in Castle Control with Coran. They were waiting on Keith to arrive so that he and Allura could depart together for the Chozzerai Bridge ceremony in their Lions. All talk in control ceased as they could hear voices arguing in the corridor outside the open door.

"I can't do it!" Keith said heatedly. "I'm not going in there and then out in public like this. It's ridiculous!"

"It is the traditional dress of the time period. Don't be ridiculous yourself. I'm sure all the women will find you attractive." Matron Hilda tossed over her shoulder as she came through the door.

"Nanny! That's not the problem!" Keith said, reverting back to her old title in his obvious frustration at whatever he was wearing. He still had not come into view however.

The Matron hovered in the entrance keeping the sensor for the door triggered. "Ah, Lt. Altaire, you look lovely in Arusian historical dress." Hilda beamed at the young girl. She was less adverse to her now as the prince hadn't displayed any real interest in her that she could tell. And really, could she blame the poor pilot for daydreaming about the handsome Arusian prince? If she did that, she'd have to be angry with most of the female population of Arus. "Come in, Prince Keith. If Allura can wear the clothing, so can you." Her tone had become more of an irritated teacher… or nanny.

Keith groaned and then walked in. He grimaced as the guys whistled and made cat calls. Then his eyes caught sight of Allura and he began to smile. While he was dressed in the guys were calling an orange toga mini-dress, Allura was dressed in an off-white dress. It was sleeveless and was fastened at each shoulder with gold medallions. The dress was belted at the waist and stopped just below her knees and like him, she was shoeless.

"Matron Hilda is right, Prince Keith, you look very nice." Allura smiled as Keith blushed slightly.

Hilda was in the process of berating the male team members, so Keith took the opportunity to say, "I doubt I look half as good as you do." A slight smile was on his lips.

Allura stared at Keith. It was the most that he had said to her since she had accosted him in his office. "Thank you," she said quietly.

Keith looked behind her, "I think Hilda has the guys under control. Are you ready for the ceremony?"

"Yes. I mean we just have to run across when we're given the signal, right?"

"That's right. But don't forget we're supposed to kiss in the middle." Keith said as he stared into her eyes. He was somewhat nervous about the kiss. Sure he had kissed girls before, but he hadn't kissed her. And then there was the fact that everyone would be watching.

Allura turned bright red and stared at his half-bare chest. "Oh, yes, that's right." How could she have forgotten that? Obviously he wasn't nervous about it all; not like she was anyway.

"Time to go!" Lance called over to them. "Pidge has set the computer to not alter your clothing on the way down." Smirking wickedly, Lance said, "I've alerted the female staff. They'll be waiting at the bottom. I hope you have something on under that toga, Keith."

Keith had been running toward his T-bar when he stopped and stared at Lance. "You're incorrigible, Lieutenant!" Keith yelled as he ran toward his T-bar. _I hope he wasn't serious_, Keith thought.

"That's why I'm a lieutenant, not a captain, Prince!" Lance called out.

It was with a sigh of relief that Keith dropped into his shuttle. There had been no one in the area when he dropped.

The two Lions took off from the castle at almost the same time.

In just a short time, they were both in position. Turning to the crowd, he once again related the story of the Love Bridge. Once he was finished with his narrative, he turned to the beautiful gleaming white bridge that spanned the wide channel. His people had done well and his heart swelled with pride and hope. Signaling Allura he ran onto the bridge.

Allura's heart was beating fast as she ran across the bridge. Though the distance was a long one, it wasn't the exertion that caused her quickened pulse. Finally, she met him in the middle and threw her arms around his neck and she felt his fasten tight around her. She tilted her head up to look at him. Her eyes opened with wonder as once again there seemed to be sparkles around Keith. Then her gaze traveled to his lips as they descended towards hers. The sound of the crowd was in her ears as their lips came closer together.

Suddenly, the two were knocked off their feet as something shook the bridge.

Keith looked over the side and saw a dark craft rising from the water to eye level. His gazed locked onto the face of the Drule Princess. But she wasn't alone, her brother, Prince Lotor was with her.

Merla's voice was projected to them from the craft. "Now, now, Keith. You know you should only be rushing into my arms. It's time you come with me, my prince."

Keith had pushed Allura behind him as he had seen the lecherous gaze of the Drule prince on Allura. The prince remembered what the team had said about Lotor and his penchant for blue-eyed blondes.

Pulling on Keith's arm, Allura said, "We can't stay here. We have to run to one of the Lions."

Nodding, Keith started to pull Allura toward Black as she pulled toward Blue. It would have been comical if it weren't for the situation. The stress of the pull was enough to break their hold on each other's hand and they fell down in different directions.

Lotor took the opportunity to hit the bridge at that time, opening a breach between the two pilots.

"Do it again, brother, we have to separate them if we are to defeat them." Merla's voice was calm and calculating as she watched Keith scramble up the crumbling bridge.

"There," Lotor said as he stood from the command chair. "Take over. I'm going to get my spoil." Opening the side hatch, Lotor jumped to the bridge below.

Allura glanced behind her to see that the Drule prince was behind her on the bridge. He was coming for her while Merla went after Keith. They planned to take them both! _Not if I can help it. They won't get either of us_, she thought as she climbed up a portion of stone that had crumbled. She had to get to Blue Lion!

Keith had been climbing up his side of the bridge when he saw the blue prince jump to follow Allura. "No," he whispered aloud. _This is why I didn't want her doing security_. With a curse, he let go of his hold on the angled bridge and slid to the bottom where he jumped across several stone islands created by the bridge debris.

Seeing that the pilot was going to get away, Lotor pulled his weapon and shot a hole in the bridge next to her hand.

Allura stopped climbing and turned to face her attacker. That was when she saw Keith running down the bridge toward them. She quietly cursed him for not getting himself to safety and his Lion.

"What do you want, Lotor?" Allura asked.

"Why you of course. Your name is Allura, isn't it? Such a lovely name." Lotor's voice dripped with insincerity. "Merla gets Keith and I get you. He'll agree to our plans to keep you safe. It's a win win situation for my sister and myself."

Allura's eyes widened. Keith would do it. They didn't yet realize that Keith had feelings for her. Once they did, they would use his feelings against him. She couldn't allow it. Looking down the bridge, she saw Keith getting closer and to make things worse, Merla had joined them on the bridge. With both of the Drules armed, she and Keith would be helpless. "Sorry, Lotor. I'm not in the mood to be a pawn today." With a quick salute, she ran and jumped from the bridge. Luckily they were on a section that had dropped so though the water entry wasn't pleasant, at least it was survivable. She prayed as she went to surface that Keith had followed her.

Breaking through the water into the air, she looked around desperately. "Keith!" She called out. "Keith!" Moments later she was rewarded to see his dark head surface. Together they looked to the bridge and saw the Drule siblings shaking fists at them.

Swimming to Allura he asked, "Are you all right?"

"Yes, but we need to hurry. They'll summon their ship and we need to get to Blue." Allura was in security mode now. He was her responsibility whether he wanted to be or not. There was no way Merla wasn't getting her hands on him with her on duty.

Seeing that Allura was serious in her role, he merely nodded and began to swim alongside her. They had a long climb to the top ahead of them. What would they find at the top and would they be able to get to Blue Lion without more problems from the blue duo? These thought swirled in Keith's mind as he swam with long strokes to the beach.

Allura looked around quickly as they exited the water. A series of steps had been cut into the cliff side. Grabbing Keith's hand she ran toward it. "Weapons," she said as they climbed. Her eyes were searching the bridge and the skies. No sign of Lotor and Merla. They had to be back in their ship. "Weapons," she said again. "That's what we ask for at the top from anyone we see."

Keith didn't respond. He didn't need to.

Reaching the top, they found a number of Arusian soldiers there along with civilians. Keith immediately worked to disperse the crowd to safety. "Go! Go quickly! We won't let them defeat us! We will rebuild again!" He called out as the people went into the nearby forest for cover. Several soldiers came up and while he and Allura took two blasters, a com unit and one lazon sword, they sent the men to go with the people.

Holding the blaster in front of her, Allura saw that Keith had clipped the lazon sword to his belt and had the blaster at the ready. "Let's go, Keith." Allura said and then led the way to Blue. The head of the Lion was above the trees. What would they find in the clearing with the mecha Lion was anyone's guess. She prayed they would get there before Merla and Lotor.

Allura contacted Control on the com and relayed their position. The Drule shuttle had some type of cloaking or magic as it wasn't detected by the satellites and wasn't on the radar now. Keith and Allura were on their own, the other guys were dealing with a robeast near the castle. They needed Voltron which only made the couple run faster. Finally, they broke into the clearing to find the Drule duo sitting on the paw of the Blue Lion.

Skidding to a stop, Keith said, "I'll take Lotor, you take Merla."

Flashing Keith a withering look, Allura retorted, "I can take him, Keith."

Winking at her, he said, "I know you can, but do you really want to leave me at Merla's mercy? I mean, she might abduct me while you're still dealing with her brother."

Allura knew that Keith was joking, but he was also right. They needed to pair off against the person who wasn't interested in them. "True," she said, and was rewarded by a frown from Keith. "Let's go, Prince."

Merla immediately pulled her blaster and started firing shots at Allura as she ran, dodged, and rolled her way toward the princess.

Sparing only a glance to Allura, Keith ignited his lazon sword and advanced toward Lotor.

Seeing that the Arusian prince had a sword, Lotor smiled and ignited his own. _This is going to be fun. I hope Merla doesn't mind having a shredded prince for a lover_, he thought.

Ten minutes later, Allura found herself inside Blue Lion. Merla didn't know where all the hatches were and after a brief tussle with the princess, Allura found one of the access hatches. It was a good thing, as Merla had a number of small daggers on her person while Allura had only her blaster, which wasn't very good in close quarters. The princess had been very successful at dodging all of Allura's shots while firing her own and throwing the occasional blade.

The pilot's fingers flew over the keyboard. Speed was critical. Without her to distract the princess, Merla would join Lotor in attacking Keith.

Merla smiled as she walked up behind Keith and trained her blaster on his back. He was an easy target as he was concentrating on her brother.

The Lion was starting, but Allura feared it wouldn't be fast enough to save Keith. The systems were in process, so she grabbed her blaster and headed for the top hatch.

Keith was vaguely aware of the cut on his arm caused by Lotor. He could see an almost matching trail of blood on the arm of the Drule prince. As he was planning his next move, he felt an intense tingling in his back. Keith lunged to the side just as he heard Allura's warning call.

Merla had fired just as Keith moved. Unfortunately for her, without Keith in the way of the blast, it struck her brother in the chest. Set to stun, he fell to the ground as Keith regained his footing and started running to the Lion. Turning to fire at the fleeing prince, Merla reconsidered as she saw the Blue Lion pilot point her blaster in her direction. Cursing, she ran for the trees and needed cover.

Allura watched with relief as Keith climbed the side of the Lion and followed her down the ladder. Once he was down, she grabbed him by the arms and looked him over. Because of the abbreviated costumes, it was easy to see that he was uninjured except for the cut. Noticing his smile, she blushed and let him go. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

Looking at the bleeding cut on his arm, Keith said, "Just the one cut."

Sitting down in her command chair, Allura couldn't help but tease after the display he had put on with Lance. "Was it because you allowed it or because he might be better than you?"

Keith surprised her by pausing. "I didn't _allow it_; in fact, he might just be better than me. However, his arrogance will be his downfall." Hearing her snort, he cringed inwardly thinking back to his behavior with Lance. "I don't usually act like I did with Lance that day."

Turning her blues to his browns, she saw that he was concerned over her opinion. Softly she responded, "I know you're not." Then it was back to the business of flying him to his Lion. They would leave Lotor and Merla to their own devices. Their team needed them.

Keith stood behind Allura's chair and smiled. He might not have gotten his kiss but he knew he had her respect and that was even more important.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Later that evening…_

"But Matron, Dr. Gorma has already cleared me," Keith said with irritation. "There's nothing more to see, nothing more to do!"

"Pish posh, young man! You are the heir to the throne. We must do our due diligence to make sure you stay healthy and well. And that means checking back in with the doctor tonight, going to bed early, and checking in with the doctor in the morning."

Lance, who had been making faces at Keith behind the Matron's back, snapped to attention when the Matron suddenly wheeled in his direction and pointed a finger at him. "And you young man, just know that the prince will not be doing any kind of Lion thingy tomorrow."

"Practice," Lance corrected.

"What?"

"It's Lion practice, Matron. He won't be doing Lion practice tomorrow," Lance explained.

The Matron beamed at him and then said to Keith, "See, even the Voltron commander agrees that you shouldn't do the Lion thingy tomorrow."

Lance smacked himself in the head and then mouthed, "I'm sorry," to Keith.

"Now. Up young man."

Keith begrudgingly stood. "See you guys at breakfast." His shoulders were somewhat slumped as he walked with the Matron.

The team watched in silence as the pair walked out of the Rec Room. Then all eyes focused on Allura and she blushed.

"What?" she asked.

"Sooooo," Pidge began, "what happened on the bridge?"

"Well, you guys were watching on the live stream weren't you?"

"We were, and then the feed cut out right as you ran into his arms," Hunk clarified. "So, did you kiss him?"

Blushing furiously, Allura said, "No."

"Bummer," Lance said.

Glaring at him, she retorted, "It wasn't funny."

Leaning forward so he was closer to her, he said, "I'm serious. I know that what happened wasn't funny, but we all know he has feelings for you. To be honest, we all hoped this would be a smack up side the head for him."

Allura looked to the faces of her teammates and the blush continued as she realized they all agreed with Lance. "Yes, well, it wasn't a total loss." She saw the curious looks on their faces and added, "There wasn't any kissing or anything, but yeah, I feel good about how we worked together." Seeing that they wanted more she simply said, "That's all I'm saying."

Deciding to turn the conversation to something more comfortable for Allura, Hunk said, "How did Lotor tag him on the arm? I didn't think anyone could do that."

Lance laughed, "I think you overestimate my skill with a sword, Hunk, but yeah, how did he do it?"

"Actually, I don't know. He faced off against Lotor while I went for Merla." She shrugged, "He had the cut by the time I got into the Lion but Lotor was also cut. I did ask Keith about it and he said that Lotor might be better than him."

Three sets of incredulous eyes looked at Allura. "Better? Better than Keith?" Lance asked. "Remind me to always have a blaster with me," he joked.

The conversation turned to other things but Lance watched Allura carefully. Ever since she had confronted Keith about the duty roster, she seemed different. _Perhaps Keith got the message without a smack in the head,_ Lance thought as he smiled at his friends.


	30. Chapter 30

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

**Rating/Setting: **Rating is T. Setting is DotU but is definitely AU – see challenge info below.

**Response to Cheetoy's KAEX Challenge "A Royal Twist."** "What if Keith was the surviving Arusian Royal Prince and Allura was an Earth born hometown girl turned GA Starpilot? How will the prim and proper Prince deal with falling for a strong-willed GA pilot of no royal line? Sadly, Nanny and Coran insist on a Princess for our dear Kogane... But how shall they deal with the Drule Prince(ss)? Can they find their Happy Ever After?"

**Author's Note:** This chapter is a lead-in to yet another DotU episode inspired chapter. I think you'll be able to figure out which one pretty quickly.

**Thought today was going to be a very busy day at work but due to snow, they sent us home early. So, what the heck, posting a chapter today even though I didn't plan on it. ;-)

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Thirty<strong>

_A month later…_

Keith woke up suddenly in a cold sweat as the alarm went off signaling it was time for one of Lance's infamous pre-dawn Lion practices. This was the third time in a week that he had woken from a nightmare concerning the attack on Sven. Every time, it was not the witch wielding the magic and cutting down the Alliance pilot, it was him. Keith lifted his hands in front of his face. And just as the other two times, his magic was manifesting itself in blue arcing fire. Closing his eyes tightly, he willed the power to return into his body. When he opened them again, the power had pulled back in. But even though the power was gone, his fear of what he could become was still with him.

_Meanwhile, in Castle Control…_

Coran readied the castle systems for Lt. McClain's morning Lion practice. He loved being out and about so early in the day. As he reached for his morning coffee, he sensed a presence. Looking up from the console, he saw the form of his friend, King Alfor. "Your Majesty, is something amiss?"

"I'm afraid so, Coran. I sensed Keith's magic flaring again this morning. I'm afraid it is occurring more frequently." The King shook his head.

"Is there nothing you can do?" Coran asked as he glanced around the empty control center. It wouldn't do for any of the staff to overhear the conversation.

"My son's magic is so far beyond what I possessed; I have already told him what little I knew. Zarkon was thorough in his purge of Arus and those that possessed magic or knew how to teach those that had it. As you know, I visited the royal library and all the books have been removed." Shaking his head even more, Alfor said, "I should have had them converted to digital format. I was short-sighted."

"My King! It is your vision that has allowed us to move forward. If any of us could have imagined what happened, we have done things differently. Do not blame yourself." Coran reached a hand toward the king but then let it fall. He wasn't sure what would happen if he tried to physically interact with the semi-solid body of the king.

"Perhaps, my friend. However, it doesn't change the fact that my son will now have to go Pollux." The king seemed to collect his thoughts before continuing. "You have no response from your queries to King Cova? Could it be that Prince Avok is now king?"

Coran turned toward the computer once more and his fingers traveled over the keys. "The latest information says that Cova is still king of Pollux and that he is still hostile and belligerent toward Arus." Looking over his shoulder at Alfor, he added, "It has been said that he is working on an alliance with Doom. How can we possibly think of sending Keith there? Can't we send one of the Alliance pilots?"

"To do what, Coran? Skulk around villages asking if anyone knows magic?" Alfor crossed his arms. "No. If Keith goes, the strength of his magic will draw someone who can help him, if there is anyone."

Hesitating only a moment, Coran voiced his greatest fear with the plan. "But what if it draws someone who only wants his magic, Sire?"

"I can't explain it, Coran, but I have a peace about Keith going. What have I heard those Terran pilots say? I have a 'gut feeling?'"

Coran laughed aloud. "Indeed, they do use the phrase, your Majesty." His tone turned serious. "You are sure?"

"No, Coran, I'm not. But I am sure that if something isn't done, Keith will lose control."

Exiting the screen he was on, Coran said, "Still no response from Pollux. If Keith goes, it will have to be secretly."

Alfor began to fade. "So be it."

Coran looked through the spot that Alfor once occupied to see Keith entering the room. He looked tired. "Keith!" he called out. "We need to talk."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Coran had given Keith a brief summary of his talk with the king. The advisor had asked if the prince would prefer a private meeting with just Lance, but Keith had wanted the team to be in on anything that Coran had to say. So, Lion practice was postponed as Coran, Keith, and the team were in the conference room.

"King Alfor appeared to me just prior to your arrival in Control. He told me that the prince needs to go to Planet Pollux to search out anyone who has knowledge of magic or how to train with it." Coran said after they were all seated.

"Pollux?" Pidge asked. "Aren't they like your mortal enemies or something?"

"There hasn't been any formal relations between our planets for over 500 years. However, the inhabitants of Pollux and those of Arus are of the same genetic background," Keith responded. "Legend says that in the early days of space travel and the unification of the Arusian government around the monarchy, there was a king with two sons. One son was peaceful, one was warlike. The more aggressive son longed for his father's death so that he could challenge his brother for the throne. The king learned of his son's intent and banished him to the world of Pollux. Space travel was limited at the time, so the journey was lengthy. Even with the trials of going to a new world, many of Arus went with him."

"So, you think they took some witches with them?" Hunk asked.

Shrugging, Keith replied, "We don't know. The royal son with the magical bloodline stayed on Arus. We can only hope they did take some of the knowledge with them."

"You mean you don't have anyone with knowledge here? No teacher? No books?" Allura was surprised that someone or something wasn't available to help Keith.

"Zarkon was very thorough, Allura, when he attacked Arus. Magic wielders were sought out and killed and the books containing the knowledge related to magic and the magic of the royal bloodline were taken or destroyed." Coran's tone indicated that he was once again reliving some of the feelings he experienced eight years ago.

"King Alfor didn't save anything to the computer system?" The techie pilot had been amazed at what Alfor had put together almost a decade ago. His surprise that the king hadn't safeguarded this particular element was evident.

Coran shook his head. "Keith and I have already looked at the rudimentary information contained in the computer system. The king told me that he had never expected Zarkon to be so thorough in his attack."

"So what do we do, Coran? Ask Pollux to let us borrow a book from their library?" Lance quipped.

"In a way, Lieutenant. I have sent inquiries for diplomatic negotiations to Pollux but they haven't responded. To the best of our knowledge, King Cova is still the ruler. His oldest son, Avok is near your age, with Romelle a few years younger. The youngest child is Bandor and he is probably just a year or so younger than Pidge. Cova is very hostile to Arus and I'm not sure of his children's feelings on the matter."

"So, it's a waiting game." Lance added. "We wait for them to make contact so that we can find a teacher or information for the prince."

"We would wait if we had a lot of time," Coran said softly. He glanced at Keith.

Keith looked up from the table and caught Coran's eye. "The magic is becoming unpredictable. I've woken several mornings, including today to find my bed alight with the magic. I have to concentrate and pull it back in. My father taught me that. However, it shouldn't just be activating on its own. I'm afraid that without some training my magic may become unstable or worse."

"Worse?" Allura asked.

Turning to face her, he leaned forward on the table bracing himself on his forearms. "I don't know if it is some kind of premonition or just my own fears. Since that day with Haggar… I've had numerous nightmares where I'm using my magic and I know it isn't for any good. Sometimes, I see myself using it against the team." Keith glanced to both sides.

"It might just be your own fears of the magic," Lance said slowly.

"Yes, it could be but what if it's not? The little that we do know about past sorcerers comes from the historical accounts of their actions. Just like any monarch, they are recorded in our histories. There have been ten monarchs that were also sorcerers. Of the ten, four used their power for their own gain and the detriment of the people. This is a higher percentage misusing their power than those who had only minimal to small amounts of magic." Keith looked down at his hands. From what he could tell, he was the first to possess magic this strong in over six hundred years. And that last monarch was one who misused his powers.

"So we can't wait for Pollux to respond and we can't count on a positive reception from King Cova. What would you like to do, Keith?" Lance asked. He had known the prince for several months now and found him to be pretty level-headed. The prince had been calm in battle and made good decisions. It was his life and sanity they were talking about here and he was willing to listen to whatever plan Keith had. If it there was one thing he knew, it was that Keith would have been thinking things through and analyzing the situation.

Keith felt himself relax at Lance's words. He was humbled that the Alliance lieutenant was willing to listen to his ideas on what was to be done instead of just making a decision. Lt. McClain came across strong early on, but it was only because of his fierce loyalty to his friends. The prince hoped that Lance's request to hear his ideas meant that the lieutenant was starting to include him in that circle of friends. They had come a long way since that first meeting in the crumbling castle. "I'd like to take Black Lion and two other Lions and pilots of your choosing to Pollux. I would like to scramble their satellites and sneak in. We park the Lions underwater near the capitol city. We investigate the capitol for anyone with magic or knowledge of where we can find it. We keep in contact with Arus and return once we have some information."

"Not happening, Prince." Lance said with finality. He saw the prince deflate with his words although there was a spark of defiance in Keith's eyes. That all changed with his next words. "I'm not sending two with you. If you go, we all go. I'm not going to risk Doom learning of your presence without having Voltron there. If Cova is hostile, the whole planet could be hostile to you."

Coran nodded. "I agree with the lieutenant. I suggest that you make preparations to leave in the next few days."

"Agreed," Lance said.

"Thank you." Keith's voice was quiet.

"No thanks are needed," Lance said as he stood. "I told Coran once that you were one of us. It's even truer now. We're a team and we take care of our own."

Keith didn't say anything as the team nodded and stood.

"Don't plan on lounging, Prince. We still have Lion practice." Grinning, Lance left the room with the team following behind.

Allura cast a last glance over her shoulder at Keith and smiled until a voice drifted back to them.

"Come on Pinkie!"

Allura smile changed to a glare and Keith heard her mutter, "I'm going to kill him one day." Then she was gone.

Coran watched it all with a wry smile. "I couldn't ask for better friends for you, Keith."

The prince looked to Coran with a smile of his own as he stood to follow his teammates. The Alliance may have been slow to respond to Arus' situation, but when they sent help, he knew they had sent the best.


	31. Chapter 31

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

**Rating/Setting: **Rating is T. Setting is DotU but is definitely AU – see challenge info below.

**Response to Cheetoy's KAEX Challenge "A Royal Twist."** "What if Keith was the surviving Arusian Royal Prince and Allura was an Earth born hometown girl turned GA Starpilot? How will the prim and proper Prince deal with falling for a strong-willed GA pilot of no royal line? Sadly, Nanny and Coran insist on a Princess for our dear Kogane... But how shall they deal with the Drule Prince(ss)? Can they find their Happy Ever After?"

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Thirty-One<strong>

Two days later, the team left for Pollux. The current orbits of the planets were beneficial and provided the team with a quick flight time (relatively speaking). Once they had the planet in visual, they went into a diamond flight pattern. Keith was the center with a Lion above and below him and ones to either side. It was their most precise pattern with the Lions only flying feet away from each other. It would also present the best profile for any long-range scanners. However, Pidge was at work sending code to the satellites in orbit to scramble the signal. It would only take a few moments for them to get through and then dive toward the sea below.

Keith was tense as they came through the atmosphere into the Polluxian night. They were far out to sea and as the Lions neared the water, they broke into a line formation as they skimmed the top of the water. As Keith slowed Black, he gently took the large Lion under the water. All the Lions submerged and began their underwater trip to the capital city. Reaching the spot they had selected, all the pilots donned their underwater gear and made their way to the surface.

Hunk broke the surface with a loud splash as the inflatable raft came up with him. He swam over quickly and punched in the sequence to inflate the boat. In moments, the raft was ready and Hunk tossed in the large duffel that contained a change of clothing for all of them. Climbing in, he removed his tanks and breathing gear. The dark colored swim gear he had changed into while still in the Lion, made him almost invisible against the boat and the inky blackness of the navy-colored sea. Breaking out the data pad from the dry bag, he punched in a few codes and shortly four dots blinks on his screen. Smiling he headed to pick up Pidge.

Just a short while later, Keith leaned over the side of the raft to help Allura in. She was the last one to be picked up. Settling herself beside Keith in the raft, she pulled off her gear and pulled back the head covering, freeing her dry blonde hair just a bit. Turning to the prince, she said, "We'll be on dry land in about ten minutes. How are you feeling?"

Keith turned from Allura to gaze at the light-dotted shoreline. The beach they would land on wasn't heavily populated, but it would be close enough to a town that they could walk to it easily. His eyes locked onto a spot on the shore. "I feel like someone is waiting for me."

Allura tensed. "Should we alter course?"

"No. I don't sense any danger." Frowning, he closed his eyes and concentrated. "I can't tell anything more than that."

Looking around Keith to the point he had fixated on, she knew that she would stick close to him once they landed. Good feeling or not, she didn't count on it.

Once they landed, the men carried the raft into the edge of the trees and camouflaged it. After that, everyone took their bags and a blaster and changed in the tree line. Stowing the bags containing the swim clothes in the raft, the group set off through the trees to locate the nearby road.

They hadn't gone far when the forest opened upon a clearing. The group stopped soundlessly. A cloaked figure sat in the middle of the dim clearing. The person was facing away from the group and gave no sign that he or she had heard them. Lance had just raised his hand to signal them to fall back when the figure spoke. "Prince of Arus, I have been waiting for you."

Allura tensed and reached to grab Keith as he stepped forward. Speaking softly, she said, "We can't go completely on your good feeling."

Lance looked at both of them in irritation. He realized that the two of them knew something that he didn't. "We need to fall back," he whispered quietly.

"No," Keith said.

"Prince of Arus, if I had wanted to kill you I would not have waited in such an exposed spot. Especially when my magic told me where you would land and where you are going." The figure stood and faced them. Pulling back the cowl of the cloak, she revealed a head full of wavy silver and gray hair streaked with auburn.

Keith put a hand on Lance's shoulder. "This is why I came. I can't expect to not encounter danger as I look for magical answers. She is correct in what she says. Let me go to her."

Looking apprehensively from Keith to the solitary figure, Lance finally nodded his agreement. Keith moved forward as Allura moved closer to Lance.

Stopping about five feet from the figure, Keith's hand reflexively gripped and relaxed its hold on the blaster at his side. "Why were you waiting for me?"

"My magic involves seeing the future, locating lost objects, and oddly enough, making things grow."

"You saw me in your visions of the future?" Keith asked.

Nodding her head, she stepped forward. "I have Prince Keith. I have seen several possible futures. Not all of them are pleasant for you or for Pollux. My name is Coreen, and I have come to help you find the answers you seek about magic."

"Why? What benefit does it have for you?"

Laughing, Coreen responded, "Actually, helping you will lead to my death." She saw Keith look around in concern. "Do not worry, it is not now. Just know I am at peace with it because most of the pleasant visions of the future have me assisting you. If my assistance can help you fight the dark influences that would turn you into Obsidian, then my death will be worth it."

"Obsidian?"

"It is the name you are known by in the futures where you did not gain control of your magic in time. Magic of the level you possess can be unstable and if you do not take measures to stabilize it… well, it can warp your mind and take you on a dark path." Coreen's tone was calm but the fear in her eyes was real.

Holstering his blaster, Keith stepped forward so that they were only a couple of feet apart. "I have had nightmares about my power. I see myself hurting the people I care about. Can you help me prevent it?"

Coreen looked past Keith to the figures at the edge of the clearing. "The female in your group. You are close to her aren't you?" She could feel the prince's tension at her question. "I ask, because gaining stability of your magic means that you must join with another and I can sense the emotions between you."

Keith still was feeling wary and tense as he answered, "Join with? Do you mean marry?"

Coreen looked into the prince's eyes and said, "You can marry anyone, but you only join with your soul mate. The joining for those with magic is not only of the body but of the heart. You can marry and give your body to someone, but you will only give your heart and emotions to your soul mate."

It was hard to resist the impulse to turn and look at Allura. He did have strong feelings for her, but what was Coreen talking about? "She doesn't possess magic."

"She doesn't have to. When a person with magic joins with another, it is a sharing of the energy. It doesn't share the power or the magic, but the energy behind it. It keeps the one with the stronger magic from becoming unstable… in a way, it grounds them."

"Does it harm them?" Keith asked.

"No, it harms neither. In fact, all you will feel will be peacefulness and a type of relief." Coreen added.

"You're sure about this?" Keith asked. "All I need to do is join with someone and my magic will be stable?"

"I am sure, Prince. But don't take this lightly, the joining must be real. You can't just decide that you will give your heart to someone, your heart must decide that." Looking again toward the trees, Coreen asked, "Is it really so hard for you to admit that your emotions are already tied to the woman with you?"

Finally, Keith glanced over his shoulder and then looked with resolve at the woman in front of him. "She has her career with the Alliance and I have my duty as the Prince of Arus."

Coreen laughed, "You haven't spoken to her about your feelings. No, no," she said as he went to protest. "It's a common problem with a lot of men. As for your duty... Tell me Prince of Arus, what is your main goal as ruler of Arus?"

"To protect the people and help them provide for themselves."

"And how will you do that best? I have seen a future with you as Obsidian. You have married one you do not love and Arus suffers with you in that future. Destruction follows you and darkness reigns. In another future, I see you as the Sorcerer of Arus with the one you joined with as your Queen. There are still problems, but Arus is whole and growing. So Prince of Arus, which future best holds to the duty you claim to have?"

Keith stared at Coreen. He knew she was right. "I'll take your words to heart, Coreen. But what of my magic? I need someone to help me learn how to use it."

Pulling a data crystal from her cloak, she handed it Keith. "This contains volumes of information from the royal archive. I made copies for you. There should be more than enough there to help you. It will take time, but if you are joined, you will have plenty of time."

Looking at the sparkling data crystal, Keith asked, "How long before I lose control? How long before I must join or lose my sanity?"

Putting her hand over his, she said, "You have about a year. Once your powers activated at this level, the process was set in motion. For monarchs with a low level of power, they can go a decade or more once their powers activate to join with someone. Some can even retain stability without joining. However, that is for those with low level or nominal powers. You aren't one of them, Prince of Arus."

"You've given me some hope, Coreen. Won't you come with us? I am sure that I could learn a lot from you if you would be willing to teach me."

Coreen looked into his eyes. She had seen her future. An attack was imminent. If she left with him or hid until the battle was over, many would die. It was her ability to make things grow that would save many innocents. "I'm sorry, Prince, but I must stay here to fulfill the duty I have to my people. Go, knowing that I accept what my fate is."

She was being cryptic, but he sensed that she expected to die soon. "Tell me."

Sadness was in her eyes as she said, "Too much is at stake for me to tell. Too many nuances that trigger great shifts of power." She shook her head and a mane of silver shielded her face. "I will tell you that a battle is coming."

Keith drew a deep breath and let it out. It wasn't unexpected; they knew that Cova was hostile to Arus. But Keith had held out a small hope that he could change it. In fact, he wouldn't give up that hope. He would keep part of it; he wouldn't become a slave to what visions showed. "We're headed to the castle. You could wait here for us. We can take you back with us," he ended softly.

"Go on your journey. Find the answers you need here and then take the crystal home and learn what you can." Coreen reached up to place a hand on his cheek. "After speaking with you, I see that you are meant to be the Sorcerer not Obsidian. Don't let others make you into something you are not."

Reaching up to hold her hand, he said, "I'll do my best, Coreen."

"It's all I ask. Now, head through the trees and you will find the road to the castle." She pulled her hand away from his face and squeezed his hand before letting go. Turning she walked in another direction into the trees without looking back.

Keith motioned for the team to join him.

"So, Prince, what was that all about?" Hunk asked as the woman's figure disappeared into the shadows of the trees.

"It was about hope, Hunk. It was about hope." With his right hand he held out the data crystal as they circled around him. His other hand reached for Allura's and found it.


	32. Chapter 32

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

**Rating/Setting: **Rating is T. Setting is DotU but is definitely AU – see challenge info below.

**Response to Cheetoy's KAEX Challenge "A Royal Twist."** "What if Keith was the surviving Arusian Royal Prince and Allura was an Earth born hometown girl turned GA Starpilot? How will the prim and proper Prince deal with falling for a strong-willed GA pilot of no royal line? Sadly, Nanny and Coran insist on a Princess for our dear Kogane... But how shall they deal with the Drule Prince(ss)? Can they find their Happy Ever After?"

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Thirty-Two<strong>

By the time the sun was breaking the horizon, they were in the city outside the castle. They made careful inquiries about the castle and the royals inside while shopping in the market area. From what they could tell, the people were not as hostile to Arus as King Cova was. However, they weren't opposed to a war with their distant relatives. If Keith could convince the king to work for peace, the people would follow. The problem was that everyone said that Cova was intent on war and taking over Arus.

In the late afternoon, they went over to a picnic area and pulled the food supplies that Hunk had brought with him in a knapsack. Passing out the rations, Lance asked, "What do you want to do, Prince? From what I gathered, the royal family is returning tomorrow from an off-planet trip to Doom. It doesn't sound promising to your plans for peace."

Keith glanced to the castle turrets that could be seen above the tree line. "No, it doesn't. I just feel that I should at least try."

"But Keith, you know they'll lock you up. We can't have that. Arus needs you and we need you for Voltron," Hunk said.

The prince gave a grim laugh. "They can try to hold me, but I doubt they can for very long." For a moment, blue fire arced from his fingers and then stopped. "Unless they keep me unconscious, they won't be able to keep me." Keith looked at Lance. "When I go to the castle, I want to go alone. They can't hold me, but if they threaten one of you…"

Lance shook his head. "There's no way we're letting you in there with a bunch of people that hate your guts. What if they don't decide to keep you? What if they just decide to cut you open?" Shaking his head some more, Lance said, "Nope. Tonight we'll take Hunk back to his Lion so we'll have heavy duty back-up if we need it. The rest of us will go in with you."

Silence hung in the air as Keith regarded the Alliance lieutenant. "There's no changing your mind?" Keith asked. At Lance's nod, he said, "So be it. We'll go in as a team."

"Good," Lance turned to the group. "We'll eat and then scope out the castle for our entry plan for early morning."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

In the predawn light, the quartet huddled in the trees near the back of the castle where a canal separated the castle proper from the countryside. It had been Keith's keen eye and magical sense that had located an open window on the second floor. They were going to slide into the canal and climb the side of the castle in the darkness. There were no guards on this side of the castle and this was their best chance. They had put their swimwear on and their clothing was hidden in the trees, just in case they were able to exit the same way. They weren't counting on it though. Keith had the data crystal carefully tucked into a small pocket along his waist. They all had their Lion keys in similar pockets and blasters were strapped to their legs.

Giving one last visual scan to the area, Lance said, "Okay, team, let's go." In single file they followed him and slipped with barely a ripple into the tepid water of the canal. It only took a few minutes to make the swim across and then they were using the pitons from the utility belts they had brought to climb the castle wall. Soon they were all inside crouching on the floor.

Pidge had just rounded a corner when he let out a small cry of surprise. "Aighh! Didn't expect to see that there." Pidge said as he looked at the large suit of armor in front of him. Feeling a sharp point in his back, he turned to see a young boy about his age holding a sword. Jumping back in alarm he bumped into Allura.

"Romelle!" The boy called. "We have intruders!"

Allura watched as a young woman about her age came running around the corner in a long dress. "Wait! We come in peace," she said to them as Lance and Keith came up beside her.

"You two could be sisters, or at least cousins," Pidge said to Allura.

"Bandor, they have blasters, you have a sword. Please just back away from them." Romelle spoke softly and carefully. Looking at the woman who had spoken, she asked, "If you came in peace, why did you sneak in? Why not come through the front gate?"

Allura went to answer, but Keith put a restraining hand on her arm and moved to the fore. "We do come in peace, but I was afraid that the Prince of Arus wouldn't be well-received at the front gate."

Walking forward, Romelle stopped in front of Keith. "Prince Keith?"

"Yes, and you are Princess Romelle and this is Prince Bandor?"

Nodding, Romelle said, "Who are these people with you?"

Keith introduced each member, ending with Allura. Romelle walked up to the blonde pilot and said, "Pidge was right, we do look as if we are related. It is a shame that we can't be friends." Turning back to Keith, she said, "You have picked an awful time to visit the planet, Prince Keith. Our father and older brother are on their way back from Doom. My brother made the choice to be changed into a robeast. He and our father plan to defeat Voltron and take Planet Arus."

"That's right!" Bandor called out. "Avok will take out Voltron. You'll see!"

Romelle turned to face her brother, "Bandor, did you not see? Lotor and Zarkon are only looking out for themselves. They will turn on us when they have what they want." Romelle hadn't liked the way that Lotor had looked at her and kissed her hand. It had been somewhat possessive, and she didn't like that.

"Princess Romelle, is there no way that we can convince your father to talk peace?" Keith asked.

Shaking her head no, she responded, "Bandor and I came back on a transport yesterday. We haven't returned to the time schedule of Pollux, which is why we are up so early. Just know, our brother and father will come on a Doom battle cruiser later today. It is best if you were gone when they came back."

"But Princess-" Keith began.

Raising her hand in the air, Romelle said, "I'm sorry, Prince Keith, peace isn't an option right now for our father and brother. Go and go quickly."

Keith gave one last glance at the lovely princess and turned with his team to the window. A loud rumble could be heard at the front of the castle and Bandor ran toward another window. A broad smile was on his face as he called back to his sister. "It's father and Avok! They're returned. You'll see, Romelle. Prince Lotor won't turn on us. We'll defeat Voltron and take Planet Arus." He turned back to face the window.

Whispering, Romelle said, "Go now! There's no time to waste!"

Lance pulled on Keith's arm. "You tried, Keith. Now we need to go. If they came with a robeast, we need to get to the Lions."

Keith was frustrated. He could sense Romelle's willingness to talk peace, but her father and brothers were resistant. "Okay," he said as he turned and jogged toward the waiting window.

Once they were across the canal, they quickly pulled on clothes as they ran. They only bothered as the dark wetsuits would draw attention that they didn't want. Speed was needed for them to get to the Lions before the Drules figured out they were on the planet.

"Maybe they won't know we're here. I mean, we haven't been here that long and no one but Romelle and Bandor know we're here." Pidge said.

Without breaking stride, Keith said, "Haggar is on that ship and if I know she's on that ship, she'll know that I'm here somewhere."

Their run took on urgency as they all realized what that meant. If Avok had been turned into a robeast, the Drules would soon release him and the monster would head toward the village where Haggar sensed his presence. They needed to get to the Lions and away from the inhabited area.

Lance lifted his com. "Hunk, be ready to engage a robeast if you see one on sensors." Hunk acknowledged without asking for details. _Avok… a robeast. This isn't going to end well,_ Lance thought. _Killing the Crown Prince of a planet isn't the best way to start peace negotiations, even if that prince is trying to kill you_.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Meanwhile, aboard the Drule battle cruiser Doomsday_…

"We'll be entering Pollux's atmosphere in just a few minutes, Prince Lotor." The helmsman was succinct and didn't turn his head. It was better not to draw the notice of the Drule prince.

"Good. I look forward to spending some more time with the lovely Princess Romelle when we reach the planet." Lotor said to no one in particular. A snort emanated from his right. "Is there something you wish to say, sister?"

Merla crossed her arms and looked at the planet growing ever larger in the screen. "Only that she couldn't seem to get away from you fast enough on Doom."

Waving a dismissive hand, Lotor said, "She's merely being coy. I'm sure that we will enjoy each other's company profusely during our stay."

Merla's eyes glinted as she turned to look at Haggar, "How long are we staying on this planet? When will we take Avok to Arus?"

Haggar's eyes went to a nearby console where King Cova was monitoring communications on his planet. "Not long. Just long enough for Cova to incite his people into a fever-pitch for war. We'll let them do the dirty work on Arus and we'll reap the benefits."

"But what if they kill Prince Keith?" Merla asked, not in concern for Keith, but out of concern for losing a bargaining chip for the throne of Doom.

Cackling, Haggar said, "With the magic that the prince holds, I doubt they will be able to kill him easily. We will monitor the war to make sure that he is kept intact for you Merla."

This time a snort came from Lotor. He had learned of the plan for Merla to marry the Arusian Prince. The Drule prince would be quite pleased if the Pollux robeast killed him. He was not fool and knew that a marriage between Keith and Merla would put an obstacle in his plan to inherit the throne from their father.

As the ship entered the atmosphere, Haggar drew a sharp breath that hissed through her teeth. Stepping forward she stared at the city and castle as they grew closer. "He is here," she hissed.

"Who?" Lotor asked with irritation.

"The Arusian prince! He is on Pollux!" Haggar's voice was gleeful.

Merla and Lotor both looked to the screen as if they could actually see the prince. "You sense him?" Merla asked.

"Yes, he is here."

Lotor walked to stand just behind the witch. "Did he bring the Lions of Voltron?"

"That is more uncertain. I can sense the magic that is part of Voltron but I cannot determine if all the pieces that form his body are here. To be certain they have brought several of the Lions." Turning to look at the Drule prince she said, "Begin scanning for power signatures we obtained from the last robeast battle. Scanning for the signatures and large metal objects should lead us to the mechas quickly."

Lotor spun quickly and went to make the adjustments in the sensors. "I have it, he called. They are underwater."

"Quickly! We must release the Avok robeast!" Haggar called out to Cova.

As the king released the coffin that contained his oldest son, he called out, "Fight, Avok and bring glory to Pollux!"

Merla and Haggar shared a secret smile. While on Doom, they had spied on the king and his retinue. The king had been stupid enough to speak of double crossing King Zarkon while in Castle Doom. His fate and that of his family and planet had been sealed after that. Let them do the dirty work. Let them fight Voltron and Arus. The timeline had been sped up, but Merla and Haggar were both still confident that this would work.

Soon, soon Sorcerer of Arus, you will be mine…


	33. Chapter 33

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

**Rating/Setting: **Rating is T. Setting is DotU but is definitely AU – see challenge info below.

**Response to Cheetoy's KAEX Challenge "A Royal Twist."** "What if Keith was the surviving Arusian Royal Prince and Allura was an Earth born hometown girl turned GA Starpilot? How will the prim and proper Prince deal with falling for a strong-willed GA pilot of no royal line? Sadly, Nanny and Coran insist on a Princess for our dear Kogane... But how shall they deal with the Drule Prince(ss)? Can they find their Happy Ever After?"

**A/N:** Takes some scenes and possible dialog from DotU Episode 17: "My Brother is a Robeast."

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Thirty-Three<strong>

The magnifying ray struck the coffin as it fell toward the planet. Avok burst from the coffin, growing in size as he dropped toward the surface.

The team was donning their breathing gear in the raft when the Yellow Lion burst from the water. "We've got to hurry team," Lance said quickly as Allura jumped into the water. She was the first to be dropped off, Pidge would be last. They were still en route to Black when Allura and Blue Lion burst through the water.

"I'm coming, Hunk," she said over the com.

Hunk viewed the extra-large robeast on his screen. "I can use all the help I can get. Looks like Avok was taking his vitamins. He's huge!" The Yellow Lion flew by Avok.

"Come fight me, Voltron!" Avok called out as the Lion flew by. Determining that the remaining Lions had yet to surface, the transformed prince began walking along the shore toward the area where the Lions were submerged. People on the ground ran running and screaming as the robeast's large feet crushed houses and people that were in its way.

Allura screamed. "We've got to get him away from the populated area. He's killing people!"

As Black Lion jetted out of the sea, Keith responded, "The Doom cruiser has landed near the castle. Head toward it, if we start harassing the cruiser and the castle, he's sure to come back." As he flew by the shoreline, he could see the decimated fishing village that had been along the sea's edge. Looking closely at the image on his side monitor, he enlarged the picture. Several of the village houses had numerous vines that appeared to be growing to support the collapsing roofs. A sad smile came over Keith's face. Coreen. She was using her magic to save the villagers. He understood know why she had to stay as several small children ran out from under one of the vine supported roofs.

"Keith! You've got to focus; you're heading right toward the robeast!" Hunk called out.

Looking to his main viewer, Keith saw that Hunk was right. Avok got a glancing blow on the Lion before Keith could make the correction. "Sorry guys, it won't happen again."

"Better not, Prince. As soon as Pidge gets out of the water, we need to go ahead and form Voltron. This robeast is just too large and powerful to tackle with the Lions." Lance said.

"Plus there are a lot of civilians in the area. We need to end this as fast as possible," Allura added.

Lance and Keith took a couple of parting shots at the castle perimeter as Pidge shot from the water.

"The gang's all here!" the young pilot cried out as he made a straight shot for the sky. Moments later, Voltron landed back near the castle, crushing part of the security wall.

The muscular grayish-purple robeast that was Avok let out a roar and pulled two long swords from scabbards at its side. Slamming the hilts together, he formed a double bladed sword and spun it around.

"No messing around with this robeast," Keith said. "Form blazing sword!" Moving toward Avok with the sword in front, Keith was caught off-guard when Avok disarmed him and sent the sword flying through the air.

"Well, I guess that takes care of the blazing sword," Pidge ground out.

"He's just so powerful!" Hunk said.

"Spinning laserbaldes are what we need," Lance said. The blades formed in Green Lion's mouth and Keith spun them off. It was a perfect shot hitting Avok's sword hand and knocking the blade away.

"That took care of it. Now to follow through." Keith's voice was calm and sure. Voltron rushed forward and grabbed Avok around the chest. However, Avok was able to get a grip on Voltron and threw him over its back so that Voltron lay on his back on the ground.

Avok roared in his dominance over the mecha and walked with heavy, ground-jarring steps over to the prone mecha. Reaching down, he grasped Voltron by the upper jaw of Black Lion that formed the helmet of Voltron.

Thinking quickly, Keith called out, "Reroute Lion torches!" Flames rushed out of Voltron's eyes into the face of Avok, blinding him and causing him to stumble back. Voltron stood and engaged the robeast. Pushing each other back and forth until Voltron was slammed into one of the castle's outer walls.

Through sheer size and strength, Avok pushed Voltron through the castle wall. The two went tumbling down the hillside, uprooting trees and gouging large furrows in the ground as they rolled toward the sea. The sea wall did nothing to slow them down as they broke apart after landing in the water.

Realizing that that Avok was temporarily stunned, Keith stood Voltron up and called for the argon force field. The current arced around both figures in the water. The water acted as a conductor and caused further pain to Avok, dropping him to his knees in the water.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lotor watched with irritation from the bridge of the Doomsday the bent-over figure in the water. "He can't defeat Voltron. We might as well take both of them out. Fire on both of them."

Before Merla could voice a dissenting view, the Doomsday fired an energy blast into Avok's back. Because he was mostly human and not metal, the result was devastating. Merla spun on her brother, "You fool! They were still fighting; he had a lot more energy to use on Voltron. Now Voltron will focus on us!"

Lotor's eyes widened as he realized the truth in Merla's words. Moving quickly to the com unit, he hailed the small shuttle that had taken Cova to the surface. "Bring Princess Romelle back with you, we need to have some collateral."

"What makes you think that Voltron Force won't attack a shuttle carrying the sister of the robeast that tried to kill them?" Merla asked.

For the first time, Haggar spoke. "They won't attack with her here."

Merla looked at the witch for a moment and then nodded. Haggar usually was correct on such things.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

On the planet surface, the royal family of Pollux had been standing on the balcony of the castle watching the battle. When the Drules turned on Avok, Romelle had gasped and Bandor had shaken his head in denial. King Cova watched as he son fell into the water and began to revert to normal size and coloring. The Drules had told him that the only way for Avok to return to his human form again was to have a reversal of the process by Haggar or by death. Seeing his son's body floating in the sea, he knew what had happened. Nonsensical words began to come out of his mouth.

Romelle turned to her father, "We've got to go help Avok!" He didn't respond but stared out to sea mumbling. "Father!" Romelle began to panic. Slapping her father, she still got no response. Giving up on him for the moment, she grabbed Bandor's hand and said, "We've got to hurry or he'll drown!" The prince and princess hurried down the long flight of stairs toward the gaping hole in the wall.

Suddenly, Drule soldiers rushed in from all sides and took Romelle by the arm. She resisted but they only laughed and pulled her with them. Bandor ran after them but one of the soldiers turned and shot him in the leg, causing him to fall to the stone pavers. Looking up, he called after them, "No! Not Romelle!" But it was too late, the ship had taken off.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

With Avok down, Keith had turned Voltron in the direction of the Drule cruiser when Keith pulled Voltron to a stop.

"What's wrong, Keith?" Lance asked.

"Something…" Keith said softly.

"What is it? We've got them in our sights!" Hunk called over the com.

Shaking his head, he put Voltron in motion once more. As they got within firing range, a small shuttle flew into the landing bay. Immediately, they were hailed by the Doomsday.

Prince Lotor's face filled their screens. "Hello, Voltron Force. I'm sorry that things didn't work out for us on Pollux as we had hoped."

"They're going to work out just fine when we slice that cruiser open," Lance said.

"And here I thought you were the peaceful ones. Tsk. Tsk. Lieutenant McClain." Looking over his shoulder, he said, "Ahhh, here we go." Merla stepped into view with Romelle firmly in her grasp.

"Romelle!" Allura softly cried.

"Voltron Force, I am so sorry!" Romelle said. "I wish we could have peace, but if it is not meant to be, then at least get rid of this scum. Fire on the cruiser!" Her tone was emotional but sincere.

"Shut up, woman!" Lotor hissed at her. Turning back to the screen, Lotor addressed the Alliance team. "I don't think you really want to kill the Crown Princess of Pollux, do you?"

"Go." Keith said.

"Keith!" Lance jumped in.

"Go, Lotor."

Keith glanced at Merla and she said, "Remember my promise, Keith." With a laugh from both her and her brother, the communication was cut.

"They're just hideous!" Allura said.

"Yeah. And now Lotor has another blue-eyed blonde." Keith said. "I hope we can rescue her when we attack Doom."

The team was quiet as they thought about what it meant for Lotor to have Romelle. Then Lance said, "Let's go back down and see if King Cova is more open to peace now."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A short while later, the team stood in the castle courtyard with an injured Prince Bandor. Soldiers and citizens were working on clearing away some of the rubble. The body of Prince Avok was lying at the base of the castle steps with a sheet over him.

"Prince Bandor," Keith began, "I'm sorry about Romelle. We'll do everything we can to rescue her when we go to Doom."

Bandor nodded, his eyes suddenly much older looking than they had been that morning. "Romelle was right while father, Avok, and I were wrong. She said they'd turn on us and they did." He closed his eyes for a moment and when he opened them, he turned to look at the body of his brother. "They killed Avok, not you. They took Romelle, not you. And… they took my father's mind."

Keith and Lance looked at each other.

Bandor turned back to face the team. "At least for the moment, my father is… unstable. He is staring vacantly and mumbling. It might just be shock, but it could be more. I'm afraid that he put everything into his imagined vendetta against Arus. With Avok dead and the alliance with Doom in shabbles, he may have given up."

Keith moved forward to put a hand on Bandor's shoulders. "If there is anything that we can help with-"

Raising a hand to stop Keith, he said, "We know that Arus is rebuilding. We are in far better shape economically and militarily than Arus. If we need Voltron, we will call. If you need our fleet, call us. I feel that I can trust you far more than the Drules and I'm sorry it took all this to change my mind."

Nodding in acceptance, Keith dropped his hand and stepped back. "We'll be in touch, Prince Bandor."

Bandor watched them go back to their individual Lions and take off. "If only…" he thought out loud. But he couldn't do anything about 'ifs,' he had to deal with reality.


	34. Chapter 34

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

**Rating/Setting: **Rating is T. Setting is DotU but is definitely AU – see challenge info below.

**Response to Cheetoy's KAEX Challenge "A Royal Twist."** "What if Keith was the surviving Arusian Royal Prince and Allura was an Earth born hometown girl turned GA Starpilot? How will the prim and proper Prince deal with falling for a strong-willed GA pilot of no royal line? Sadly, Nanny and Coran insist on a Princess for our dear Kogane... But how shall they deal with the Drule Prince(ss)? Can they find their Happy Ever After?"

**A/N:** Takes some scenes and possible dialog from DotU Episode 23: "It Takes Real Lions." No infringement intended. Used to keep continuity with DotU canon... as much as this AU can. :- )

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Thirty-Four<strong>

_A week after returning from Pollux…_

Coran and Keith sat in Keith's office. They had finished looking through the information that Pidge had garnered off the data crystal. There was so much it had taken almost the whole week to work through it. There was much to help Keith harness the magic and use it. He needed to practice with it and reread the texts but he would most likely be able to use his magic effectively one day soon. But then there was the whole 'joining thing.' Keith laid the data pad on the table and stood. Walking to the window, he laid his head against the transparent material and closed his eyes.

Laying down his own data pad, Coran said, "It seems the only way to guarantee that you won't turn into a dark mage because of the magic is to join with someone. From this information, it seems that Coreen told you correctly." Coran's voice lowered, "I know you hadn't planned on wedding so young, Keith. But with the ball coming up, perhaps you might find-"

Keith wheeled around quickly with anger in his eyes. "How can you say that?" His tone was harsh and his body language spoke of harnessed wrath.

Studying Keith, Coran saw the potential that Coreen spoke of. If Keith's anger were to control him, he would be a formidable, deadly sorcerer. Keeping his voice calm, the advisor spoke again, "I say it because you haven't told me of feelings for anyone else. Is there already someone, Keith? Perhaps Princess Romelle? If you married her, you could unite our two planets." Coran continued to watch the prince's reactions.

"I felt nothing but friendship when I met Romelle. I fell no bond of emotion and you know that has to be part of it. I could unite our worlds by marrying her but what damage would I do to both planets when I turn? No, it has to be someone I have feelings for." Keith finished his statement with a wave of his hand in the air.

"Then I shall ask again. Is there someone you already have feelings for, Keith?"

The tension in Keith's muscles relaxed. Coran was right, his father knew and he knew the team had some knowledge, but he hadn't even spoken to Allura yet of his feelings. "I'm sorry, Coran. You are right." Seeing the gleam in his advisor's eye, he added, "But you've guessed, haven't you?"

With a twinkle in his eye, Coran said, "From the moment that Commander Holgersson sent Allura to talk you when you were angry."

Frowning, Keith said, "But I didn't have any feelings for her then."

"Maybe not, but I knew the potential was there."

Walking back over to the seating area, Keith dropped into the leather chair and leaned his head back. "I haven't even spoken to her myself. I have no idea what her feelings are."

"You don't?" There was a hint of laughter in Coran's voice. "She constantly moves to be near you. She watches you when you're not looking. And then, there's the whole thing with Bocara. Lt. Altaire was extremely jealous of the woman." Then as an almost aside to himself, he added, "Thank heavens for that."

"But getting married? Like you said, Coran, we're both so young. She has her career and other plans that I might not even know about." Keith's tone was slightly forlorn, which was unusual for the young prince.

Schooling his features, Coran said, "Well, as Coreen said, you don't have to marry her, you can just join with her. The effect upon your magic would be the same."

Keith sat up and stared at his friend. Coran was suggesting that he have a fling of sorts with Allura to stabilize his magic. "I won't use her that way, Coran. From what I can tell, this has to be a long-term solution, not just a romp. In addition, I wouldn't do that to whoever I would have to marry to produce an heir. I won't give my heart to Allura and marry someone else. I won't do that." Keith watched the smile spread across Coran's face. "You knew I'd say that, didn't you?"

"Indeed, Keith. I just needed to hear it from you. I'm glad you feel that way, I'd hate to see you trapped in a loveless marriage."

"But Allura's not royalty. There will be opposition. We can't tell everyone about my magic being unstable."

Coran reached up to stroke his mustache. "No. We can't tell them, but I think we will need to tell Matron Hilda."

Keith stiffened. "She won't agree."

Leaning forward, Coran said, "I think you underestimate how much Hilda does care for you. She might not show it appropriately, but she does care." Leaning back, he sighed, "And if nothing else, she'd hate to see you ruin King Alfor's name by turning into a Dark Mage. Whatever would happen to court etiquette then?"

The prince looked up quickly into Coran's mirthful eyes and just started to laugh. "Yes, I'm sure that Obsidian would not want all the pomp and circumstance of the royal court and with a name like Obsidian, I'm sure that everything will be dark and none of the lovely pastels that Hilda so loves." A smile was on his face as he thought about it. It was a solemn topic, but sometimes you just had to lighten the mood. "But all joking aside, you're right. If she realizes what could happen, she may help smooth things over with the governors who might have a problem."

"I'll handle Hilda, you talk to Allura." Coran studied the young man in front of him. Keith had dropped his head at the mention of Allura's name. "You honestly think she'd refuse you?"

Keith shrugged, a telling sign of his indecision. "I honestly don't know. I know she's attracted to me and that she cares about me, but I don't know to what extent." He looked at Coran. "I'd die for her. You know that."

Coran nodded. He did know that and in a way, it scared him more than Merla. For there would be lots of times when Allura would be in danger and Keith would be willing each time to place himself between her and that danger. If the Drules ever took advantage of that…

Redness suffused the cheeks of the Arusian prince as he said, "She'd _sleep_ with me, but I'm not sure if she loves me enough to _stay _with me."

"Talk with her, Keith. I think you underestimate her."

Keith leaned back in the chair again. "I will, just give me some time to work up my nerve."

Coran smiled as he stood. "Well, the ball is coming up in six weeks. You should talk to her before then. No need getting the hopes up for all those young women who will attend if your heart is already taken."

Groaning, Keith said, "The ball. I try not to think about it. Who knows what Hilda will want me to wear. I'm trying to avoid any mention of it."

"I'm sure it will be quite tasteful," Coran said as he exited the room. He could just make out Keith's sarcastic reply of, "Yeah, right," before the door closed. A large grin was on his face as he walked down the hall. He had already had a talk with Matron Hilda and with Lt. McClain. Keith and Allura were in for a surprise when they saw their attire for the ball.

Twirling his mustache, he was quite pleased with himself.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

That afternoon as Lion practice finished up, they circled the castle. "Boy it's a beautiful day out." Lance remarked.

"Sure is," said Pidge. "I'm going to find my swimsuit and take a dip to cool off."

"Sounds like a great idea, Pidge. Mind having some company?" Allura laughingly asked. "I'll even park Blue in the shallows of the lake so we can have a diving board."

"Awesome!" Pidge exclaimed.

"Mind having more company," Hunk asked.

"Everyone is invited." Then Pidge asked, "Are you coming, Keith?"

"Sure," the prince responded. I haven't been swimming in the lake since last year.

"Great! Let's park the cats and meet back in lake at the end of the bridge." Pidge was enthusiastic with his response.

_About twenty minutes later…_

Blue Lion's mouth opened and Pidge ran out and jumped into the water. Turning back to the Lion, he called out, "The water temperature is perfect!"

Lance and Hunk laughed at him as they came out in their trunks. "The water may be perfect but your form wasn't," Lance called to him. Laughing, he turned to Hunk and winked, "Let's show him what good form really looks like."

Smiling back, Hunk nodded and both men took off at a run and cannonballed into the lake near Pidge. Splashing him over with water. When Hunk and Lance surfaced, they were all laughing.

Looking behind his two teammates, Pidge called to Keith who had come out the end of the Lion's mouth. "Show these holligans what real form looks like, Keith!"

Keith stood in the Lion's mouth smiling. Wearing his red trunks, he was ready to dive. Looking around, he saw that Allura wasn't in the water yet. Oh, well, maybe he could show off for her later. Not that his diving form was going to get her to marry him. Eyes returning to Pidge, he said, "Well, I hate to embarrass all of you, but you asked for it." Getting ready to dive in, he was distracted as the team pointed to the top jaw of the Lion and said 'Allura.' Turning to look, he became off-balance and fell ungracefully into the water. Bursting from the water, he looked to the top of the Lion to see Allura in a sapphire blue bikini.

"If you want to see perfect form, then watch this!" Allura called down to them.

"I'll say it's already perfect." Keith said to no one in particular.

"Don't worry, Allura, we're all definitely watching!" Lance yelled back.

The guys watched as Allura did a perfect dive into the water. In a moment she surfaced with her arms uplifted.

"Ta-da!" She said with a smile. The smile faded as a bit of blue fabric floated to the water's surface in front of her. Her face bright red, she grabbed the top and swam away to the far side of the Lion.

"Definitely perfect," Keith said with a goofy smile. He reddened slightly as Lance laughed behind him.

Swimming over to be near Keith, Lance asked, "So you still haven't talked to her?"

Keith's eyes narrowed, how does everyone know about my feelings for her? Am I that obvious?

Almost as if Lance had read his mind, the Lt. answered, "Yes, you are that obvious. At least to those of us who know both of you."

Keith sighed, "It's complicated."

"I know, your duty as the heir to the throne."

Looking at Lance carefully, he said, "There's more to it than that. In fact, that's not the problem." Seeing Lance's confusion, he said, "I need to talk to you later."

"Sure thing, Prince," Lance said and then turned as Allura swam up behind them. Her face was still pink.

"Well, I don't think I'll be doing anymore diving."

"That's a shame," Lance snickered. He began to backstroke away before she could swat at him.

"Well, um, if you want to take a break, how about we go sit up on the grass and soak up some sunshine?" Keith asked.

Eyes sparkling, Allura turned to Keith and said, "I'd love to."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Coran had decided to speak to Hilda in one of the conference rooms that had nice big windows. He needed all the sunlight and encouragement he could get when speaking to the strict Matron. He had been truthful when he told Keith that the Matron cared for him, but they both knew that the Matron also cared a lot about tradition. Taking a deep breath, Coran began. "Matron Hilda, I need to speak with you about the ball and about Prince Keith."

Hilda's still-dark curls bounced on her head, the pins and cap unable to completely tame her locks. "Plans are going wonderfully," her smiled lessened as she added, "I'm still not pleased with the uniform you have the Prince wearing. It is not at all traditional."

Coran stiffened, this wasn't supposed to be a talk about attire, but he might as well address it as well. "Formal military dress is appropriate for anyone, including monarchs. It is stated in the etiquette handbook for the court. You can't deny it, Hilda."

Frowning at him, she retorted, "If we're trying to bring back tradition, he should dress in the formal court attire."

"You are trying to bring back all of the traditions. The prince does not want to bring them all back. You need to accept that Hilda." Seeing that she wasn't going to back down, he softened as he said, "Do you care for him at all, Hilda?"

This got her attention. "Of course I do, Coran! He's like part of my own family! How can you even ask that?"

"I ask because I would hope that you wouldn't be so strident with one of your own family. He may be a prince, but he's also a young man. A young man who has been through a lot and still has much to go through. What we discuss here cannot be spoken of to anyone. Do you understand, Hilda?"

Hilda softened a little. "Yes, Coran. I will not speak of it. You are right about the prince but he needs to accept his duty to-"

That was it. He was tired of trying to be nice. "You know he has magic?"

The Matron stared at Coran. He had interrupted her. "Yes, I know he has magic."

"What you don't know is that if he cannot find someone to bond with emotionally and physically in the next year, his power will start to warp his mind and he will turn dark." Coran saw the dawning of understanding in her eyes. "He is the next Sorcerer of Arus. We have researched and learned that those with high power levels must find a soul mate to join with to help them level their power. Without that balance, he could become like Haggar."

Hilda's hand crept up to fidget with the lace near her collar. "Well, the ball will provide him with the opportunity to meet any number of young women."

Coran walked to the window and gazed out. It just so happened that the Blue Lion was visible out the window along with the sun bathing team members. Keith and Allura were lying near other. It appeared as if they were talking. _Heavens!_ He thought, _Please let her have the same feelings as Keith. If she doesn't_-

"Coran! Are you listening to me? I said that I have already researched a number of the young women-"

Breaking into her conversation once again, Coran said, "What if there's already a young woman he's attracked to."

Hilda walked over to Coran, "What do you mean? You can't mean that horrid Merla-" Her sentence broke off abruptly as she caught sight of the scene below them. "You can't… She's an off-worlder! A, a, a commoner!"

"It isn't without precedence, Hilda. There have been several monarchs who married commoners and one who married an off-worlder."

"But not an off-world commoner!" Hilda huffed.

Coran's tone was steely as he turned to face the Matron. "He loves her, Hilda. I pray that she feels the same." Seeing he had Hilda's attention, he continued, "If he marries one that is not his soul mate we are doomed to a time of darkness. And the prince, the prince will turn to dark and evil things. So, if that is what you want, then please, proceed with your course of action and encourage the governors to push for a royal mate." Here Coran could not stop himself but pointed a finger in Hilda's face. "You will rue the day that you did." Turning on his heel with his coattails billowing behind him, he left the room.

Hilda looked in shock at the door that Coran had exited. Slowly she turned and looked out the window. Visions of Haggar and the few times that she herself had seen the witch came to her mind. She couldn't picture Keith like that. But then, Haggar probably hadn't been the evil witch that she currently was. Something had turned her. Could Keith be similarly turned? Was the young pretty pilot the soul mate that he was searching for? It was with this thought that Hilda shut the door on her own dreams and wishes and opened her heart to what Keith wanted.


	35. Chapter 35

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

**Rating/Setting: **Rating is T. Setting is DotU but is definitely AU – see challenge info below.

**Response to Cheetoy's KAEX Challenge "A Royal Twist."** "What if Keith was the surviving Arusian Royal Prince and Allura was an Earth born hometown girl turned GA Starpilot? How will the prim and proper Prince deal with falling for a strong-willed GA pilot of no royal line? Sadly, Nanny and Coran insist on a Princess for our dear Kogane... But how shall they deal with the Drule Prince(ss)? Can they find their Happy Ever After?"

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Thirty-Five<strong>

After their swim, Keith asked Lance to meet him in his office. After drying off and changing, Lance rang the chime on Keith's door.

"Enter."

Walking into the room, he noted Keith standing at the window looking out. "What did you want to share with me, Prince?"

"Keith, please call me Keith." Turning, he smiled ruefully. "Sometimes I like to just be me and not Prince Keith."

Returning the smile, Lance took a seat and waited for the prince.

Seating himself across from Lance, he told his commanding officer everything. Picking up a data pad on the table, he tossed it so landed on the table in front of Lance. "It's all in there. We'll be entering it all in the castle database soon. Well, everything except the parts about a monarch with high levels of power possibly going psycho if they don't find their soul mate."

Leaning forward, Lance picked up the tablet. "Yeah, that's not something the general public needs to know. It could compromise the ability of a monarch to find their soul mate if everyone knew about this." Looking down at the tablet, he said, "I'll read over it and return it to you." Sitting it down on the table, he leaned back. "But I don't understand what the problem is. I think we both know who your soul mate is."

Keith reddened. "How do you know?"

"I've known Allura since we started at the Academy. We're been best friends for almost as long. She's never acted like this over a guy." Lance studied the Prince. "You do love her don't you?"

The redness stayed on Keith's cheeks as he nodded.

"Then talk to her. Get to know her more. If you are worried about how she feels about you, spend more time with her and you'll know." Standing up, Lance said, "I won't say a word to anyone, but if there's anything you need, let me know."

Keith stood and walked Lance to the door. "Thanks for listening."

Lance laughed as the door opened, "That's what friends are for, right?" With a wink and smile, he walked down the corridor.

A slow smile appeared on Keith's face. _Friends_. _Yes, that's what we are now, despite the rocky start._ Then his thoughts turned to what Lance had said, _spend time with her, get to know her… then you'll know how she feels._ Lance was right; it was time that he started courting Allura Altaire.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx

For the next four weeks, Keith's time was busy with working on his control of his magic. He still didn't understand it all, but he could now direct the energy when he sent it from his fingers. It also worked when he touched things. He could understand how they worked or something about them. In addition to his magic work, he also had Lion practice and royal duties to attend to. But even in all that time, he found time to spend with Allura. Sometimes, he invited her to help him with his magic or to read over a proposal he had for some citizens. Then there were the times he allowed her to be his personal security when he would go just to the other side of the bridge to walk around. It was far enough that he needed to do more than let security know, but he didn't need two people.

So at the end of the four weeks he had spent talking to and learning about Allura Altaire, he felt ready to ask her the important question. In two weeks, they would have the ball and he wanted to announce their engagement there. His heart was beating quickly as he, Allura, and Lance rode out on the horses. They were taking Lance this time, because Keith wanted to go farther in order to make his proposal. He had told Lance there was an overlook near the cliff that provided a beautiful view of the countryside below.

Riding toward the cliff, Keith felt happier than he had in a very long time. Smiling, he looked over at Allura. He was certain that Allura was his soul mate and every moment he spent with her made him think that her feelings were the same.

Allura caught his smile with her eyes and sent one back to him. It was unusual to take the horses out, but then, the prince had been acting a little unusual for the last week or so. She had been pleased that he had taken more time to be with her and talk to her, but she was surprised that he never made a move to kiss her like any of the other guys would have back on earth. Everything pointed to him being interested in her, but he was a prince and she just didn't feel like she should make the first move. As the trees opened up to a clearing, you could see the drop off of the cliff that the castle sat upon. The drop was quite significant, but it also made the view equally impressive.

While Allura was caught up in the beauty of the view, Keith turned and nodded to Lance who pulled his horse back into the tree line. Keith moved his stallion up beside Allura's and said, "I wanted to show you this. I used to come here before Zarkon came and I continued to come after the battle. This view of Arus has been one of the constants in my life. I can always count on it to be here."

It was late afternoon and the shadows cast by the late sun created a myriad of colors and added depth to the landscape before them. She gasped as she felt a hand on hers. Keith had dismounted and was standing beside her horse.

"Walk with me?" he asked looking up at her.

She looked down at him and thought, he's _the most gorgeous man I have ever known_. Her heart started to hammer as she nodded yes. After dismounting, she looked for Lance and didn't see him.

Taking her hand and moving toward the precipice, Keith said, "I asked Lance to wait in the trees. We're perfectly safe here." Still he noticed her take a look around for possible hidden enemies. When they were still a safe distance from the edge, Keith halted them and turned to take both of her hands in his.

Allura felt like she had stopped breathing. _Is he going to kiss me?_

Keith's voice was soft but strong as he started speaking. "Allura, I think you know that I care about you. I have for quite a while." He looked from their joined hands to her eyes. He wasn't able to read them, but he continued, "For a time I fought against what I feel for you because of the duty that everyone kept telling me about. But I'm done with that, and I've finally convinced everyone else that duty isn't everything." He smiled as he lifted one of his hands to caress her face while the other one stole around her back. Her felt her hand move up his chest and twine behind his neck. He leaned over to get the kiss he was denied on the bridge over a month ago. "I love you Allura Altaire," he whispered against her lips and then claimed them.

Allura thrilled at his words and touch. His kiss was everything she had expected and when his mouth had asked for more than a surface kiss, hers had parted without hesitation. She could feel his love in his kiss and she was breathless as his lips left hers to kiss along her jaw and stop at her ear. She could feel the warmth of his breath.

"Marry me, Allura," he whispered to her.

Then the magic that was totally unrelated to Keith's powers stopped cold. He felt her tense and push back.

"Marry?" Allura asked. "Did you just ask me to marry you?" she asked softly as she took a step back from him.

A stone began form in the pit of his stomach as he responded, "Yes, Allura, I asked you to marry me. You would become Queen of Arus."

There seemed to be no sounds around them as Allura looked at Keith. Her brows drew together. _I thought this was just going to be a kiss. I thought he might want to move the relationship further, but not this. I'm just 22, he's just turning 21._ "Why do we need to rush? Can't we just have some fun?" She moved back to take his hand. "We're awfully young to be talking marriage. I mean, I have my career-" As she said the words, she felt him close off from her.

Keith looked at her like a stranger. She hadn't spoken of her feelings, only having 'fun.' _I thought I knew her. I thought she felt the same. _The stone in his stomach seemed to be spreading to take over his other organs… including his heart. Pulling his hand away from hers he took a step back. "I'm sorry, Allura. I thought, I thought you reciprocated my feelings. I'm afraid I'm not looking for some temporary 'fun.'" He wanted to say more but couldn't. Turning, he moved to quickly mount his horse. Pulling his mount so he could face her, he said, "I'll see you tonight at dinner." And with that he was gone.

He was gone and she was so confused. _Hell,_ she muttered as she rushed to her mount, _I'm his security detail_. Hopefully, Lance was with him.

Keith came galloping down the trail and pulled his horse up abruptly near Lance. The animal didn't like it and was prancing and shaking his head. "I'm headed back to the castle. You need to check on Allura." And then without another word, he was gone.

Lance looked anxiously after Keith and cursed the man. He'd go check on Allura quickly and then follow after the prince. There wouldn't be much unguarded time. Everything would be all right. Spinning his horse, he headed to the precipice. Two yellow eyes watched from the shadows of the trees. In moments they were gone.


	36. Chapter 36

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

**Rating/Setting: **Rating is T. Setting is DotU but is definitely AU – see challenge info below.

**Response to Cheetoy's KAEX Challenge "A Royal Twist."** "What if Keith was the surviving Arusian Royal Prince and Allura was an Earth born hometown girl turned GA Starpilot? How will the prim and proper Prince deal with falling for a strong-willed GA pilot of no royal line? Sadly, Nanny and Coran insist on a Princess for our dear Kogane... But how shall they deal with the Drule Prince(ss)? Can they find their Happy Ever After?"

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Thirty-Six<strong>

_The day before on Doom…_

"So what does your crystal tell you this time, witch?" Merla stood with her arms crossed and a grim expression on her face. So far all of the witch's attempt to capture the Arusian prince had failed and failed miserably. She didn't count any part her own behavior may have caused in the plans failures. "Let me guess, an opportunity to kidnap the prince."

Haggar hissed and turned to the Drule princess. Bringing her staff within inches of Merla's nose, she said, "Do better on your own if you can Princess." She withdrew her staff and noted that the woman hadn't flinched an inch. She was a cold one to be sure. Cackling, she returned to the crystal in front of her. "According to my crystal the prince will be going out alone tomorrow with only two escorts. It could be a time to strike."

"To take three trained fighters, we'd have to go in with a squad. There's no way to sneak up on them that way." Merla glanced over at the crystal. "Why doesn't that thing ever give us really useful information? I thought it was supposed to show you the future."

Laying a hand gently upon the crystal, Haggar said, "The future can't always be tracked. It is fluid and open to change. Sometimes I can get specific glimpses but often I am taken wherever the current of fortune directs."

Merla snorted, "Sounds about as reliable as my brother."

"Ha! The crystal is better than that." Both women laughed at that.

"So what do you suggest, Haggar?"

Moving over to a bubbling pot, Haggar dropped a black hilted dagger into the brew. Picking up a pair of tongs, she withdrew it and set it on the table. After a moment, she picked up the blade and walked with it lying across both hands to the Princess. "This blade will put the prince in a trance that simulates death. Once they think him dead, they will relax their security and we can go in and remove him."

Merla picked up the dagger. "So you want me to get close enough to cut him with this?"

"No, no, Princess. My lovely blue kitty will take care of that. We only need to be there to whisk him away as they mourn for him." Haggar said.

Placing the dagger on the nearby table, Merla asked, "What makes you think he will do what we want when we get him? How long can you keep him under a spell?"

"I have a variety of spells that I can use." Her eyes pulsed with light as she related the next information. "My castle sources indicate that the prince has been having nightmares about his power."

"Nightmares?" Merla asked with interest.

Calling Koba over, she picked up the cat and began scratching it behind its ears. "Indeed, Princess. Nightmares about using his power against his friends."

"Interesting. Do you have any idea why he would have such dreams?"

"It's actually not of my doing. I have been researching the information we have on past Sorcerers and have discovered that a large number of them turn to the dark arts to serve their own purpose."

A gleam shone forth in Merla's eyes. "Is Keith one of them? Could he turn on his own?"

"I'm not sure," Haggar hesitated to say. "The Arusians did not keep a lot of detailed records on their Sorcerer monarchs…. perhaps for this very reason. But if we can figure out what can turn him, then it will make our job that much easier."

"When do we leave?"

Dropping Koba to the ground, she responded, "Tonight."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_The next day…. Back to the timeframe of Chapter 35…_

Haggar had watched as Prince Keith had declared his love to the blonde pilot that Lotor favored. She had smiled to herself when the pilot did not immediately return his voiced affection. When the prince had made a move for his horse, she had moved deeper into the trees to locate McClain. Finding him, she had waited. Now she watched as the prince headed back toward the castle alone. Calling Koba to her quickly, she made a motion with her staff and faded away.

Haggar reappeared at the spot where the trail came out of the woods near the Lake Bridge. Merla stood waiting.

"Well?" The impatient princess asked.

"He's coming and he's alone." Haggar made some motions with her hands and said a few words. In just a blink of an eye she transformed into a middle-aged woman with a basket of fruit. Moving to the trail, she dropped the basket and then lay down upon the ground. Looking to the younger woman she said, "Quickly! Get in the trees, and whatever you do, do not let them see you!"

Merla nodded and sprinted for the cover of the trees.

Only moments later the prince emerged from the forest trail. So intent was he on returning to the castle that he almost trampled a woman who had fallen on the trail.

Lifting her hand to ward off the rearing horse, Haggar cried out. "Please! Don't hurt me!"

Immediately, Keith's dark thoughts of remorse and shame for baring his feelings left as he looked at the woman on the ground. Jumping from his horse, he said, "I'm so sorry. Let me help you." As he was reaching for the apples that had fallen, Koba came bounding from the trees. Turning sharply to face this new threat, he didn't get a chance to say or do anything except raise his arm to protect his head. But that was all the cat needed. Keith felt the blade of a knife slash against his forearm. It wasn't deep, but he was cut. Standing, he stared after the cat as it raced back into the woods.

Keith reached down to help the woman up as Allura and Lance came racing out of the woods on their horses. Turning to his friends, he said, "The blue cat was here. It had a knife that cut my arm."

Jumping down from his horse, Lance moved over to Keith and drew his blaster as he looked at the woman near the prince. "Who are you?"

"She fell, I was helping her up," Keith said. He felt dizzy and reached out to steady himself by grabbing Lance's arm.

The woman moved back and her disguise dropped as Haggar waved her staff and vanished before Lance could get off a shot.

As Keith collapsed against him, Lance called to Allura to cover them and contact the castle.

"Control, come in please. We need a medical team at the end of Lake Bridge. Hurry! It's the prince!" Allura's blaster was in her hand as she surveyed the woods behind them. They were in a vulnerable spot.

Lance checked Keith's breathing and said, "We can't wait, we've got to start carrying him back. His breathing is ragged and his pulse is thready. Get on your horse and I'll hand him up to you."

Quickly mounting, Allura holstered her gun as Lance pushed Keith across the saddle in front of her. She was terrified; it was like she was bringing a body back. For a moment she froze until Lance slapped her mount on the rump and she took off across the bridge. It was all she could do to hang on to Keith, but luckily the horse knew it was headed home. In a moment, Lance was alongside and pulled her mount to a stop as they met up with the med team over halfway back to the castle.

Dr. Gorma looked over the prince as he was laid on the gurney. He asked questions about what happened. Nodding his head and giving directions to the nurses as he listened. Swabbing the area that was cut he put the samples in sterile containers as the nurses hooked up equipment to monitor vitals and placed a breathing mask across his face. Then the med team was off to the castle with no further words to Lance and Allura.

"What the hell happened?" Allura asked in tone that said she was in shock herself.

Lance clinched his jaw, "We failed at our job. That's what happened." Turning, he saw her pale face and blank expression. Taking her arm, he began walking toward the castle and the MedBay. He wanted to ask her what happened, but he wasn't sure now was the best time. However, he was saved from having to ask as she just started talking as they walked.

"It was wonderful. He told me he cared about me, that he loved me. We kissed. And then he… then he asked me to marry him." Allura turned and grabbed Lance by the arms and stared into his eyes. "He asked ME. To. Marry. Him." Letting go she started walking again. "He asked me after our first kiss. Who does that? He's a prince; I'm a pilot. This doesn't happen. He's got his duty to follow. He's supposed to marry a princess."

Lance listened as she continued to ramble, but he had figured out that she had been surprised and caught off-guard by the proposal. In an effort to buy some time and just figure out what was going on, she had given Keith the impression that she didn't love him. He thought that her career was more important to her. _Yeah, I can see why he came flying back down the trail. Being turned down by the person you considered your soul mate had to be rough. Not that I know anything about that. _He stopped as he realized that Allura wasn't moving. "Come on, Pinkie," he said in an effort to snap her out of her shock.

Her eyes were wide with terror as she said with a shaky voice, "What if he dies thinking I don't love him?" Then she took off at a run.

"Hell," Lance said as he ran after her. He only caught up with her as she entered the MedBay waiting room.

This was the second time she had been here waiting to hear how he was. The first time was after Merla had deceived him. _Is that what he was thinks about me now? That I played him? Teased him?_ Allura looked at Coran, Hunk, and Pidge. _What can I say to them?_

"What happened out there, Lieutenant?" Coran asked as he stood and moved toward Lance. He gave a quick glance at Allura and then back to Lance.

Giving the advisor a slight negative shake to his head, Lance looked over to Pidge and Hunk before answering. "We were coming back down the trail and Keith had gone ahead of us without waiting for us. When we came out of the trees, we saw him with what looked a village woman who had fallen and dropped her fruit. Keith said that Haggar's blue cat had cut him on the arm with some kind of knife. Then the woman backed away from Keith and turned into Haggar before disappearing. Then we came with him to the castle."

Hunk and Pidge looked dubious as they looked from Lance to Allura who hadn't said anything. Lance once again shook his head and they knew not to ask.

At that moment, Dr. Gorma came in. "I'm afraid I don't have any good news. The Prince's heart and lungs continue to fail. We've put him on a breathing machine, but it can only do so much. I'm still waiting to get results from the blood samples I took from the wound area. We're treating him for all known poisons, but if it was Haggar, it could be magic." He stopped and let the words sink in. If it was magic, there was nothing Gorma could do. "If you would like to see him, you can come in. It won't affect his condition." Gorma left the room and the group in the waiting area slowly followed him.

Lance put his arm around Allura's shoulders as they entered Keith's room. His shirt had been removed and he was lying with his arms above the covers which were pulled up under his arms. IVs went into both of his arms and the breathing mask covered his face. The beeps and the pumps were the only sounds in the room until Allura started sobbing.

Moving up to the side of the bed, her tears fell on his face as she whispered, "Please don't die. You don't know how I really feel." She reached over to brush a lock of hair off his forehead. Straightening up, she sniffed and stepped back. At that moment, the monitors went silent and the breathing machine stopped. Allura looked with alarm from Keith to Dr. Gorma who checked his vitals. The doctor sadly shook his head indicating that there was nothing he could do. "He can't be gone! He can't!" Allura cried out before she ran from the room.

She didn't stop until she was at the end of Lake Bridge looking at the site where the attack occurred. Clenching her fists at her side, she thought_, Haggar wants his magic. She doesn't want to kill him. Merla wants him too. There's too much he can do for them alive. They wouldn't kill him_. Allura clung to that thought as she walked back toward the castle. The team was waiting for her near the entrance and in the fading light, she told them that she thought it was spell to make them think Keith was dead.

"You're probably right, Allura," Pidge said. "They've been pretty careful about not killing him and wanting to take him alive."

"Yeah, they're probably going to wait and try to take him after the funeral, when we won't suspect it." Lance added.

"Then we should have a fake funeral and let them think they've fooled us. We need Haggar in case she has to undo the spell. We just need to be there to grab them when they come." Hunk said.

"That's a great idea, Hunk," Pidge said.

"We just have to pretend that we believe he's dead and go through with the services. We have to act the part," Lance said.

Allura's tone was sad as she said, "That won't be hard for me to do." Walking toward the castle she called back, "I'll see you in the morning. I'm going to go sit with him now."

The team watched her go and when she was gone, Lance told Hunk and Pidge what happened.

"Man," Hunk said. "It'll kill her if he dies."

Pidge shook his head, "How could she not see that he was head over heels in love with her?"

"Fear. Fear that if she believed the fairy tale could happen it would be snatched away." Lance shook his head. "It seems that while Keith was able to put all that talk about the duty of prince to the side, our Allura wasn't able to believe it was true."

"She believes it now," Pidge said softly.

"Yes, yes she does," Lance said sadly.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes: <strong>I watched DotU episode 30: "The Sleeping Princess" before writing this chapter and the next. There may be a few direct quotes but not many. Some sequences go right along with the episode. No infringement intended – just used to keep with canon.


	37. Chapter 37

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Voltron or any of its characters - part of "The Sleeping Princess" used in this chapter. It's just to follow the plotline of DotU. I'll be happy to change it if WEP so wishes. No money is being made from this. And thanks TOI and WEP for the wonderful story of DotU that inspires us to continue loving it today.

**Rating/Setting: **Rating is T. Setting is DotU but is definitely AU – see challenge info below.

**Response to Cheetoy's KAEX Challenge "A Royal Twist."** "What if Keith was the surviving Arusian Royal Prince and Allura was an Earth born hometown girl turned GA Starpilot? How will the prim and proper Prince deal with falling for a strong-willed GA pilot of no royal line? Sadly, Nanny and Coran insist on a Princess for our dear Kogane... But how shall they deal with the Drule Prince(ss)? Can they find their Happy Ever After?"

**Author's Notes: **I watched DotU episode 30: "The Sleeping Princess" before writing this chapter. There may be a few direct quotes but not many. Some sequences go right along with the episode. No infringement intended – just used to keep with canon in my twisted AU way..

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Thirty-Seven<strong>

_The next morning…_

The door to Keith's room opened softly as Matron Hilda came in the room. Both she, Coran, and Dr. Gorma had been told of the possible trick by Doom. They were the only ones who knew, the rest of the planet was in mourning for losing their prince before he could become king. Hilda looked at the forlorn young woman who lay on top of the covers beside the deathly still prince. Under normal circumstances she would be raising the roof for such forward behavior, but now, she was just sad. She prayed constantly that Lt. McClain was correct and this was a spell, but she feared the worst. The prince was pale and cool to the touch with no definable life-signs. If he lived any remaining reservations she had about the off-world commoner would be gone.

Without opening her eyes, Allura said, "I just didn't want him to be so cold. I thought maybe I could help him stay warm." She opened her eyes and looked at the Matron. "Is it time."

Hilda only nodded as Allura slowly sat up and looked with sad eyes at the body on the bed. Reaching out, she caressed his faced one more time. "I'll see you in a few hours, Keith."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Later the horse drawn hearse made its way to the town of Alder where the only cathedral in the area still stood. The team plus Coran and Hilda walked behind the carriage. The tears on their faces were real as they walked toward the spires that could be seen over the trees.

The ceremony inside the church was emotional and the team thought about the Prince. What if he really was gone? Their thoughts went to the past months and the time that they had spent together. He had made himself a part of the team in a short amount of time. How could they ever replace him and would the Black Lion accept another pilot?

Lance shook his head, he couldn't think about that now. He had to be on watch for Drules. However, nothing happened at the service and soon Keith's coffin was loaded back in the hearse to make the return journey for burial in castle crypt. For the return journey, Coran and Hilda were going to go back by hover craft and ready the castle if the prince were revived.

The team looked at the towering cliff sides on both sides as the hearse made its way through the narrow corridor. It was the perfect place for an ambush. "Be ready," Lance said softly. Moments later, a tree fell from the top of the cliff to land between them and the carriage. "This is it, team!"

The horse pulling the hearse was terrified and soon unseated the driver and took off down the road. Pidge vaulted the fallen tree and hung on to the back of the hearse as it sped on driverless. As Pidge climbed the back of the vehicle he saw Merla jump from an outcropping of rock to land in the driver's seat. Taking a moment to call Lance, he said, "Merla's in the driver's seat. Hurry guys!"

"We're be on our way shortly, the hover craft picked us up and we're almost to the castle," Lance responded.

"I'll do what I can to hold them." Pidge looked over the roof once again and set to climb across the top. It was up to him to slow down whatever plans Merla had. Finally reaching the driver's perch, he locked his arms around around Merla's neck in a choke hold. "Stop the hearse, Merla!"

Growling at the parasite that had attached itself to her, she raised the horsewhip and swung it around to knock Pidge off. Looking around the side of the vehicle, she saw that the small Lion pilot still clung to the window frame on the side. "Jump now, little one and you might live. Wait until I stop and you may not." Turning, she whipped the horse again. "Almost there," she said to out loud to herself.

Pidge had to fix his grip a couple of times as he slipped. He couldn't let go. It wasn't because he might get hurt, but he was the only one right now who could stop Merla from taking Keith off-planet. "Come on team," he said. "Keith and I need you."

Unfortunately for Pidge, the hearse drew to a halt and Merla jumped down. Pidge looked up as the three Lions flew overhead and landed behind them. Merla took advantage of his distraction to capture him. Hearing a cackle, Pidge knew they would soon have their answer about Keith.

"Come out! We know you're here, Merla," Lance called out.

Haggar nodded to Merla and stepped into the view of the pilots instead of the princess. "I'm not as young and pretty as Merla, but maybe I'll do." Haggar lowered her staff and fired off a blast scattering the pilots.

Regaining her footing, Allura called out, "Can't you just leave us his body!?"

"Foolish girl! He's not dead, just under a spell. Soon he'll be awake when it wears off," Haggar called as she fired another blast.

Allura sagged with relief against the tree was behind. A tear slipped from her eye as she realized she still had a chance to make things right… if Keith would let her.

Lance had moved up to a position near the hearse. Glancing over the rock he was hiding behind he called out. "You know we're not letting you leave with him!"

"Oh, I think you will," Merla said as she emerged from behind the hearse. Pidge was tight in her grasp. "Drop your weapons or you'll have a real funeral to attend."

Lance dropped his head and called out, "Drop your weapons everyone." Standing he tossed the blaster to the side.

Meanwhile, Haggar had magically opened the back of the vehicle and levitated the coffin out. In a moment, the lid was off and Keith's body magically floated in the air. Haggar began to move toward the forest. "Let's go, Merla."

As Merla pulled Pidge along, he pulled something from his pocket. It was a grenade!

"Pidge, no!" Lance cried, but it was too late. Pidge had pulled the pin.

Merla instantly let go of him and moved back.

"I might be small, but this will pack a punch. He's too important to us to let you take him. You'd try to turn him into someone he doesn't want to be." He had kept walking forward with the grenade smoking as the witch and princess backed up.

"Pidge! Throw it!" Hunk called out.

"Not until they release Keith. He'd rather die than go with you!" Moving still closer, he said again, "Release him!"

"Release him, witch or we'll all die!" Merla said to Haggar loudly.

Hissing in frustration, Haggar motioned with her staff and Keith's body fell to the ground with a thump.

"Throw it now, Pidge!" someone called out.

Argh! Pidge threw the grenade in the direction of the fleeing women. He then threw his body to help shield Keith. Hearing a grunt after the grenade blast, he called to the team, "He's waking up!"

Haggar fired off a couple of meaningless shots as she and Merla quickly climbed into their coffin ships and took off. The team didn't really care as they were all gathered around Keith and made a call to the castle.

"Yes, Coran, he's alive. He's waking up now. We'll bring him back in a Lion. Have Dr. Gorma at the hanger." Lance was smiling as he looked down at the prince.

Keith sat up groggily and looked down at his formal court clothes and then back up, "Why am I wearing these and why does my head hurt? Did I get drunk or something?"

Squatting down, Lance put a hand on Keith's shoulder, "No, you're not drunk and we'll explain soon. Just know that we're all really happy to see you alive and awake."

"Alive and awake?" He looked from teammate to teammate and ended on Allura who was openly crying. His memory of their last conversation returned to him and he stiffened. Looking back to Lance, he said, "I look forward to hearing about it."

Helping Keith up, Lance said, "Let's get you to Dr. Gorma."

With Hunk and Lance assisting him, Keith made his way to Red Lion. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw that Allura was still where she had been except that she was staring at him. _What happened? Why am I in the country dressed like this with the team crying? I hope they have answers for me,_ he thought, because he was still reeling from the blow that Allura had given him.


	38. Chapter 38

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

**Rating/Setting: **Rating is T. Setting is DotU but is definitely AU – see challenge info below.

**Response to Cheetoy's KAEX Challenge "A Royal Twist."** "What if Keith was the surviving Arusian Royal Prince and Allura was an Earth born hometown girl turned GA Starpilot? How will the prim and proper Prince deal with falling for a strong-willed GA pilot of no royal line? Sadly, Nanny and Coran insist on a Princess for our dear Kogane... But how shall they deal with the Drule Prince(ss)? Can they find their Happy Ever After?"

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Thirty-Eight<strong>

Keith sat in the cockpit of Red Lion leaning up against an instrument panel. "You thought I was dead?" He asked Lance.

"Yep. We did until Allura figured out it had to be a spell."

"Allura figured it out?" Keith asked. It seemed that was all that was coming out of his mouth were questions. "I think you just need to explain it to me or I'll just stay confused."

Lance let out a chuckle. He was almost as relieved as Allura that Keith was okay. "I'll do my best, but let me just say, that I don't want to relive the last twenty-four hours again anytime soon. We'll be talking about your security when you're up to it." Glancing at Keith, he saw the prince had the grace to blush. "So what's the last thing you remember?"

"Telling you I was heading back to the castle after I talked to Allura." He tilted his head and said, "I'm sure you know what the outcome was of that discussion."

"I do, but things aren't always what they seem." When he saw Keith was going to question again, he said, "It's not my place to talk about that. You'll need to talk to Allura for those answers. Now, as to what happened…" Lance went on to describe a brief outline of what had occurred since Keith was attacked. "So now we have you back and there's more to tell, but I'm getting ready to land in the hanger. Doc is going to want to give you a thorough exam."

"Yeah, I know… duty as the Crown Prince and everything," Keith said with resignation.

After landing the Lion, Lance could see that Gorma and everyone was already below waiting on him. He had slowed down just a little on the trip so he could give Keith the summary. Standing, he offered his hand to help Keith up. "Are you ready for this? Coran and Hilda were distraught when they thought they had lost you."

Keith reached up for Lance's hand and stood. Looking at the floor, he said, "I know I acted rashly… but I can't really talk about it now. I need a little time."

Lance nodded and then moved to the hatch that would let them exit into Red's mouth. He had landed the Lion in such a way that the prince wouldn't have a big jump to get down. He seemed fine, but then, he'd been practically dead for a day and looks could be deceiving.

When they exited the Lion, Lance was right, Coran rushed up to embrace Keith in a bear hug while Hilda sobbed behind him. Finally releasing him, Coran stepped back and there were tears in his eyes as Hilda moved in for her embrace. When she let go, she gently scolded him, "No more scares like that young man. My heart can't take it."

Keith felt a little guilty at having caused everyone such heartache. He really would heed the Lieutenant's warnings in the future. "I'll do my best, Hilda," he said softly.

Dr. Gorma walked over with a hover chair and gestured toward it. "If you don't mind, Prince?"

Looking disdainfully at the chair, Keith said, "I can walk on my own, doctor." Hearing Lance clear his throat behind him, Keith smiled weakly at Gorma and said, "Okay."

As the medic pushed the chair toward the elevator, Gorma turned to the group and said, "He should be ready for visitors in about thirty minutes. I plan to keep him in MedBay overnight and release him if all is well." After his pronouncement, he headed after the prince.

Coran had seen that Keith had responded to Lance's encouragement. Walking over to the lieutenant, he asked, "How did you do it?"

Lance didn't even pretend not to know what Coran was talking about. "I think he finally realizes the lengths that Doom is willing to go and how hurt we all would be if they succeeded."

"Indeed," Coran said. He glanced over to where Allura was making her way with Pidge and Hunk to the elevators. While they were talking animatedly about what had happened, she was unusually quiet. "Can you tell me what he said about Allura?"

Lance shrugged casually, "There's not much to tell that you don't already know. She unintentionally hurt him badly. He's trying to figure out what went wrong and what he did wrong. I didn't have time to tell him how broken she was after his attack and supposed death. I'll tell him part of it, but some things he needs to hear from her."

"She feels so guilty right now. Do you think she'll talk to him?" Coran asked.

"I don't know. I just know it's something they have to work out themselves, but I'll help them along if I can."

Coran nodded and then headed for the elevator. Lance went back to Red and climbed back in. It was time to take his Lion home. He had a lot of thinking to do- what to tell Keith… how to encourage Allura…. Hell_, I'm a military man, not a counselor._ But he knew that Sven would have tried to help and so would he. Revving up the Lion, he carefully pulled out of the bay and headed to his volcano home.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thirty minutes later, everyone was in the MedBay waiting room waiting for the okay to go in and see Keith. They all stood when Dr. Gorma entered. "This is getting to be a regular thing. I don't like it. Try to keep yourselves healthy and do your best to keep the prince out of here if you can. He's a cranky patient." Seeing their nods, he said, "I'll be keeping him overnight for observation, but he seems perfectly healthy. However, he's rather tired, which is a little odd considering he was in a suspended state for an extended period of time. I expect him to doze on and off all day. So keep your visits short, but feel to stop in any time. Just don't wake him."

"Understood," Coran answered for them all.

Everyone soon filed into Keith's room. He was nervously fidgeting with the sheet covering him as he spoke. "I wanted to thank all of you for not giving up on me."

"Never," Coran said and then added, "But it was Allura who came up with the idea that Doom wouldn't kill you, that it was probably a spell."

Keith's eyes flitted over to Allura's and then away as he answered, "Thank you, Allura. I'm sure I'd be in one of Haggar's labs somewhere by now if you hadn't figured it out." Then his eyes went to Pidge. "And thank you, Pidge, for risking your life with that grenade."

"Anytime, Prince," he said with a smile.

"Well, I'd rather not go through that again anytime soon," Keith smiled back. Leaning his head back, he said, "I'm tired and would love to take a nap."

"Of course, Keith," Coran said. "We'll head out and check in on you later."

As everyone went to leave, Keith said, "Lance, if you'd stay for a moment."

Lance glanced at Allura briefly and then turned back to the prince, "Of course, Keith." He waited for everyone to leave and then said, "You want to know what I didn't tell you on the Lion?"

At Keith's nod, he drew up a chair. Lance told him of Allura's shocked state on the bridge but not what she said. He spoke of her frantic run to his room and how she cried out when she thought he was dead. Her idea that is was a spell was revisited and then he told how she had spent the night with his lifeless body. "It doesn't sound like the actions of someone who wants a fling or is worried about her career."

Keith's eyes searched the wall opposite of him for something he couldn't see. "I just don't know, Lance. It might just be guilt." Hearing a snort from his friend, he turned, "I can't marry her if she doesn't feel the same. You know that if she doesn't and she isn't my soul mate… that I'll turn."

"We don't know that for certain."

Keith's eyes turned back to stare blankly at the wall in front of him. "I'm certain. When she… when we… when I left the precipice, I felt anger like I've never felt before." Dark brown eyes turned to Lance as he finished, "It felt good."


	39. Chapter 39

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

**Rating/Setting: **Rating is T. Setting is DotU but is definitely AU – see challenge info below.

**Response to Cheetoy's KAEX Challenge "A Royal Twist."** "What if Keith was the surviving Arusian Royal Prince and Allura was an Earth born hometown girl turned GA Starpilot? How will the prim and proper Prince deal with falling for a strong-willed GA pilot of no royal line? Sadly, Nanny and Coran insist on a Princess for our dear Kogane... But how shall they deal with the Drule Prince(ss)? Can they find their Happy Ever After?"

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Thirty-Nine<strong>

During the rest of the day, members of the team came to see Keith, but not Allura. Determined to speak with her alone, Lance found her after dinner punching the bag in the gym. "I thought I asked you to meet me in my office after dinner," Lance said as he leaned up against the wall.

Allura didn't look away from the punching bag as she answered, "I got caught up in here. Lost track of the time."

"Sure. So tell me if you've been to see Keith?"

Taking a hard punch at the bag, she replied, "No I haven't and I think you already knew that." Dropping her gloved hands to her sides, she glowered at him. "I can't see him yet, Lance. I don't know what to say!"

"Well, the fact that you're not even trying may be speaking for you. Have you thought of that?" Lance asked in irritation.

Allura deflated. "I wasn't sure he would even want to see me and if he sent me away… it would hurt."

"Yeah, it probably would, but at some point he would talk to you. But you don't even know if you won't try." Lance's tone softened. Both Keith and Allura were hurt by what happened. They both needed time to heal but he knew that they wouldn't heal without talking. Frankly, Keith's comment about his anger was a little frightening. Coreen said he had about a year, but what if she were wrong, what if the event at the precipice set him on a dark course. The precipice. It sure had a double meeting in this situation.

"Would you go with me?" she asked quietly.

"I'll wait in the hall for you. This is something that you and Keith need to work out."

"Okay, wait for me while I shower and change?"

"Sure will, Pinkie," Lance said with smile. It was a ghost of her former smile that was returned to him. He watched her go into the locker room and then let out a sigh as he rumpled his hair. _Man, this team leader stuff is even harder than I thought it would be,_ he thought as he sat in a chair to wait for her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Allura took a deep breath as she stood outside Keith's door. She glanced at Lance who gave her a reassuring smile and then triggered the door sensor. Stepping inside, she leaned against the wall as she looked at him. His eyelids were fluttering open, signaling that he had been asleep. "Hi," she said quietly. "I didn't mean to wake you. I can leave if you like." The last was uttered with a hint of desperation.

As he reached for the bed controls, he groggily said, "No, it's okay. I was starting to wake up and we need to talk."

While he raised the bed, she walked to stand beside it. "Do you hate me?" she whispered to him.

With a slight smile, Keith said, "No. My feelings toward you won't change that quickly." He looked away as he said, "Lance says that you care for me. I thought you did, but then you didn't say anything about your feelings yesterday." His face turned back to her awaiting an answer.

Allura looked him in the eye and said, "Of course I care for you. When you said all those things yesterday, I was caught off-guard. I wasn't… I wasn't expecting it." Allura waved her hands around in the air as she searched for her words. "I never meant you to think that I didn't care. That I didn't… love you too."

Keith searched her face for the truth in her words. "What about when I asked you to marry me?"

"Caught off-guard," she smiled. "We hadn't even kissed until then. Yes, I had fallen for you but we hadn't said anything and then suddenly you ask me to marry you." Her face grew more serious. "I didn't realize that marrying me was an option. I heard more than one of the lectures you've received about duty. Marrying a GA pilot doesn't fall under the line of duty for a prince."

This time his smile was rueful. "Yes. I guess I should have been more vocal about my feelings about that. Maybe then you would have known that I had decided I wouldn't be bound by that particular duty. It was my fault not to make that clear. But you could have just asked me instead of evading the question."

Allura gave a delicate shrug of her shoulders. "What's a small-town GA pilot with only her rank and military salary to her name to say to a fairy tale like you, Keith? How could I even think that this," she took his hand in hers, "could really happen to someone like me?"

"I hope you've decided to consider the possibility," he smiled at her.

"I have." Allura's heart was full. He was obviously willing to forgive her.

Keith broke his gaze from hers and looked at their hands. He squeezed it slightly and then began to make small circles on the top of her hand with his thumb. "I want you to think about it Allura. Think about how your life would change as my… wife. You'd have to give up your career in Garrison, but you'd still be able to fly here. Your life would change. I don't want you to be unhappy with the choice you make. Don't answer me now; think about it for a couple of weeks. The night of the ball, I'll ask you again." His eyes went up to hers. "Don't say yes because of guilty feelings. We'd both end up unhappy."

"Keith, what I don't understand is why the rush? Why can't we just wait?" Allura asked.

"Two weeks. Think about it. I'll answer those questions after you give me your answer." He paused and added, "I'm sure that's not the answer you wanted right now, but I have a reason for waiting to tell you."

"So there is a reason?" Allura asked curiously.

"Yes," was Keith's simple answer.

"Okay, I can wait two weeks."

"I won't crowd you. I want you to think about it and what it means. It's your decision, Allura, and no one else's."

Allura worried a little about the seriousness of Keith's tone. There was definitely a reason he was asking her to marry him now, she just didn't know what it was.

Lance glanced in the window of the door and saw the young couple holding hands and talking quietly. It was a step in the right direction.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Over the next couple of days, things returned to normal as far as practices were concerned. Routine became a safe thing. It helped you dismiss the tension between the prince and the blonde pilot. But the tension was there. It wasn't an angry tension, but just one of apprehension. The only change to the routine was the increase in activity in the castle as guest rooms were readied and the ballroom decorated. However, this didn't affect the pilots very much.

Then at breakfast, Lance announced, "Our dress uniforms have arrived." Pidge and Hunk seemed somewhat pleased about it, but Allura just scowled.

"Good," Hunk said. "Hopefully, they got the measurements correct this time. My last dress uniform was a little tight around the stomach." Pidge spit some of his tea out as he tried to control a snort at Hunk's comment. "What are you laughing at, Pidge?" Hunk asked. "You know that the ladies can't resist a man in uniform."

Pidge beamed at that thought and then turned to Keith, "What are you wearing, Prince?"

Keith's scowled matched Allura's. "I told Matron that I would wear the traditional court attire."

Laughing, Lance said, "Based on your matching facial expressions, am I to assume that Allura is also wearing traditional court attire?"

The scowl left Allura's face as she laughed. "You know I'm not, Lance. It's just I don't like the women's dress uniform. It's so… so…"

"Uncomplimentary?" Hunk asked.

With an exaggerated sigh, Allura said, "Yes, when compared with the other women." All the women at the ball would be eyeing Keith and they would be dressed to impress. Her dress uniform, while formal for the military wasn't what the women at the ball would wear. The guys would look absolutely great in their white fitted coats with gold buttons, medals and epaulets. The black dress pants and shoes would just add to their elegance. She would have a straight knee-length black pencil skirt with a fitted white coat that was just like the guys. And then there were her sensible black pumps. This looked wonderful at military events and she looked nice in it. But… this was a ball. "I guess there won't be any glass slipper for me," she said jokingly.

"Glass slipper?" Keith asked with a puzzled expression.

Allura blushed as Lance answered, "Earth fairy tale about a girl named Cinderella."

"Ahhhh," Keith said making the connection with the story he had been told as a child. He looked at Allura and thought she reminded him of the girl in the story. In fact, Allura herself had compared her relationship to fairy tale. Too bad neither of them would be able to dress for it. From his vague memories, the prince in that story wore more of a military uniform. He had admired it as a child as it didn't have the frilly lace he was forced to wear for court occasions.

Lance smiled as he looked at the prince and the lady pilot. Both would be pleased when they found out about their new formal attire for the ball. Now to just keep it secret a couple more days….


	40. Chapter 40

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

**Rating/Setting: **Rating is T. Setting is DotU but is definitely AU – see challenge info below.

**Response to Cheetoy's KAEX Challenge "A Royal Twist."** "What if Keith was the surviving Arusian Royal Prince and Allura was an Earth born hometown girl turned GA Starpilot? How will the prim and proper Prince deal with falling for a strong-willed GA pilot of no royal line? Sadly, Nanny and Coran insist on a Princess for our dear Kogane... But how shall they deal with the Drule Prince(ss)? Can they find their Happy Ever After?"

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Forty<strong>

Neither Keith nor Allura were anxious to try out their new clothing for the ball, so it was with just two days left before the event that they went for their individual fittings…

Allura glumly walked into the 'sewing room' at the castle where Matron Hilda awaited her for her fitting. She couldn't put it off any longer. If alterations needed to be made, they needed to be done this day. Tomorrow some of the guests would be arriving and all the staff would be busy. Sighing, she looked at Matron and was surprised to find her smiling. Matron didn't smile often. _The uniform must be hideous,_ she thought. _That's why Matron is happy. I'm going to look frumpy. She'll probably try to tell me that I would have looked better in that pink dress._

"Come, come, Lieutenant." Matron called happily. Hilda waved Allura over to a room where she could change her clothes in private. "Go on in, I'll unwrap your dress." Hilda sounded almost giddy.

Frowning, Allura just shook her head and entered the stall. Slowly taking off her outer garments, she was waiting in her bra and panties for the dress when a strapless bra was tossed over to her. Allura held it up in front of her. She looked to the stall door and called out, "Um, Matron, my shirt and jacket do not require a strapless bra."

The stall door only opened a fraction as Matron stuck her hand in. "Sorry, child, that's right. The bra is built into the dress."

Allura just shook her head but handed the bra back. In just a moment, a stunning midnight black dress was passed through the open door to her. It was beautiful. Fingering the material that was silky and soft in her fingers, she sighed regretfully. "Matron, there must be a mistake. I should have a black skirt and white jack-" She stopped speaking as she noticed the wide matte black ribbons that went around the top of the dress and then up around her neck to form the halter top of the dress. It wasn't the ribbon straps that drew her attention, but her service ribbons that were along the left strap. "Matron, she called, what is the meaning of this? This isn't a Garrison issued dress uniform."

Matron's voice came from the bottom of the stall door as she slipped a pair of strappy sandals under the door and laid a pair of black opera length gloves over the door. "No, it isn't. I hope you don't mind, but I contacted the Garrison and requested a change to the dress uniform to use at royal balls. I told them my requirements and they sent me this. They were quite happy to make the change for a member of the Voltron Force."

Allura was still in shock as she slipped the beautiful dress on. Matron's measurements had been perfect. She smiled as she looked in the mirror at the modest neckline on the front. Her upper back was bare and her arms of course were uncovered except for the gloves. She looked at the beautiful way the dress just fell straight to the floor. A slit came up the front right leg and stopped just above the knee. She looked at herself in amazement.

"Is everything all right? Don't you like it?" Matron's voice sounded worried. She had thought Allura would like this change in the uniform.

Pulling the strap up on her heel, Allura finished getting her shoes on and threw open the door. Seeing Hilda in front of her, she wrapped her in an embrace.

Hilda smiled as she hugged the young woman back.

"I love it, Matron. I absolutely love it! Thank you!" Allura was almost crying with happiness. She felt a little silly, but Keith was going to ask her to marry him again at the ball, and this dress was so much more wonderful than she could have imagined.

Pushing back slightly, Matron looked at her. "Let's make sure it's perfect." Smiling at Allura, she gestured to the small dais for her to stand on to have the dress looked at. Walking around the lieutenant, she said, "I think you're right. It's perfect except for one thing. Well actually, two things."

Allura looked at Matron with confusion until she pulled two pins out. Both had two gold bars that were connected by black metal. It was her rank. Stepping down, she moved so that Matron could put the pins on at point where the ribbons reached the tops of her shoulders. Turning to look back in the mirror, she smiled at Matron's reflection. "Now it's perfect."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A few hours later, an equally glum Keith made his way to the sewing room. He too was shepherded into a changing stall. Expecting to be handed the long tails on a coat with lace at the neck and sleeves of his shirt and the brocaded fitted breeches, he was surprised to be passed something totally different.

"Matron, you've accidentally given me Lt. McClain's uniform." Keith eyed the uniform with envy. Perhaps Lance would let him try it on sometime. They were almost the same size.

"But that is your uniform, Prince Keith." Matron called happily.

Keith became a little irritated at the Matron. In the past she had gone on and on about court traditions. Now she was just rubbing it in that he wouldn't be allowed to wear something so modern. He was getting ready to say something when he noticed the emblem on the left breast of the white jacket. It was the royal crest of Arus. He checked the epaulets. There were stylized Lions on them. "What is this, Matron?"

"It's your uniform, Prince. Coran asked me to contact Garrison to see if they would allow you to wear their military dress uniform. They agreed and made this uniform specifically for you. As you'll see it has the royal crest of Arus and your rank is that of a specialist. They created a gold emblem just for you for the epaulets. They're of a Lion."

He could hear the pride in her voice as he pulled on his uniform. Once he was fully dressed, he looked in the mirror. Nodding at his reflection, he opened the door. "What do you think, Hilda?"

"Hunk told me that a woman couldn't resist a man in uniform. I told him he was ridiculous. It has been a long time since I have seen our soldiers in dress uniform. I had forgotten how distinguished it makes you look." Her eyes misted slightly. "Your father and mother would be proud."

Keith smiled at her. "Thank you, Matron."

Hilda checked for any alterations and found none to be made. As he went to change back, she took his arm and softly said, "She'll never say no to you when you look like this."

Leaning over, he kissed her cheek and gave her a wink as he went to change.


	41. Chapter 41

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

**Rating/Setting: **Rating is T. Setting is DotU but is definitely AU – see challenge info below.

**Response to Cheetoy's KAEX Challenge "A Royal Twist."** "What if Keith was the surviving Arusian Royal Prince and Allura was an Earth born hometown girl turned GA Starpilot? How will the prim and proper Prince deal with falling for a strong-willed GA pilot of no royal line? Sadly, Nanny and Coran insist on a Princess for our dear Kogane... But how shall they deal with the Drule Prince(ss)? Can they find their Happy Ever After?"

**A/N:** Final chapter! Hope you've enjoyed my twisted DotU!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Forty-One<strong>

The day of the ball was extremely hectic. The four Alliance pilots were kept busy either flying the Lions as a show of Arusian strength or greeting guests as they arrived. Allura and Hunk on were greeting duty when Hunk said, "I don't think I'll complain anymore about practice. I'd rather do that any day. This ritual greeting is about to drive me insane."

Allura looked over at her friend. They were wearing their Voltron uniforms minus the helmet. In them, they were immediately recognizable to the public. Garrison had asked that all of them submit picture of themselves in uniform and those pictures had been released in press releases and news channels to promote Voltron's return. Turning from her friend to the approaching dignitaries, she smiled and bowed low. Standing, she said, "On behalf of Prince Keith Kogane, Crown Prince of Arus, Srg. Hunk Garrett and I, Lt. Allura Altaire, welcome Planet Larcone to the Castle of Lions."

Hunk took over at this point, "If you would proceed through the doors to your right, castle staff will direct you to your quarters. If there is anything you do need, please use the com system to contact Matron Hilda." The visiting dignitaries thanked them and then proceeded toward the doors.

Allura noted that the young raven-haired girl was glancing around curiously. _Looking for Keith and a chance to fawn over him, I'm sure, _she thought waspishly.

"Hey, what's the frown for?" Hunk asked.

Relaxing her facial muscles, Allura sighed, "It's just there are so many beautiful young women here. I'm sure the only thing they have on their mind is Keith."

"Don't worry about it. He only has eyes for you."

The pretty pilot sighed again and just shook her head. There was still a chance her fairy tale could go up in a puff of smoke.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

That evening, the Voltron Force mingled with the guests at the ball. They were security for Keith during the event. While everyone had been screened for ties to Doom, there was always a chance someone would decide to act first and make a deal later. Lance glanced around the room and found nothing out of order. In fact, several ladies had made it a point to introduce themselves. It could be an eventful night for him after the ball if he played his cards right. A smile was on his lips as he continued to survey the room. Then his eyes went back to the beautiful blonde who was making her way over to him. She was absolutely gorgeous.

"So, I understand you had a hand in this." Allura said and indicated her dress.

Eyes twinkling with a playboy's gleam, he replied, "Oh, I think if I had a hand in there, Keith would have something to say about it."

Blushing furiously, Allura retorted, "If we weren't at a ball, you'd be on the floor."

Chuckling, he continued his teasing, "I don't think Keith would approve of that either, Allura."

Allura glared at him for a moment and then smiled as she moved forward to give him a quick hug. "I can't stay mad at you too long if you helped get me this dress."

He winked at her as she pulled back. "When Coran suggested it and Matron agreed, how could I not help?" Lance looked at the room behind her. "You're on an equal playing field now." Turning back to lock eyes with her, "In fact you have an advantage. In spite of those diamonds in your ears and hair, your service ribbons put you far and above what most of these women could offer him."

Allura's blush was one of pride this time. "Thanks, Lance," she said as she moved to take her position across the room. She had already turned down several dance offers before she reached her place. It wasn't that they couldn't dance. They could, as long as at least two other pilots were not engaged in dancing. She just didn't want to be in anyone else's arms tonight. Catching her reflection in the mirror, she smiled. The young maid who had helped her with her hair had done a wonderful job. Her hair was pulled back gently from her face. Part of it was caught up in a knot on the top of her head with the curling length falling down her back. The diamond pins that Hilda had lent her twinkled in her hair from the overhead lights. She was just turning back to survey the room when trumpets announced that Keith was ready to enter.

The Crown Prince stood outside the ballroom in the hallway with Coran beside him. Coran looked at the nervous prince. "Everything will be fine, Keith. When we get to the bottom of the stairs, you'll make your way to Allura and ask her to dance. It will signal to everyone that they can begin dancing."

Keith nervously nodded. After the dance, he'd settle down. He'd have to go receive his guests after that dance and his mind would be off Allura. _I'll be fine_, he said to himself. Then he heard the trumpets and the doors opened. Entering with Coran, he paused at the top for his introduction. He watched as the gathered crowd bowed and curtseyed as he came down the stairs. His gaze searched the room for Allura. It didn't take long to find her because she was the only one not bowing or curtseying. It was a good thing too because she wasn't wearing what he expected and he might not have found her otherwise. Pausing at the bottom of the stairs for only a moment, he made his way toward her.

Allura's breath caught as she saw Keith at the top of the stairs. She smiled as she wasn't the only one who had been surprised with a change of uniform for the ball. He looked absolutely dashing and fit every girlish childhood fantasy of Prince Charming. Her heart was thudding wildly in her heart as he approached her and bowed.

"May I have this dance, Lieutenant?" he asked formally.

After a curtsey and a nod, she took his hand. For the first time in six weeks she was in his embrace again. And again he left her breathless. She sent a silent thank you to Hilda who had all the team practice waltzing over the last two weeks. She would have hated falling on her face or tripping over her feet.

Keith's eyes finally left hers as other couples began to join them on the floor. "That's some uniform, Lieutenant," he joked.

Taking a moment to look at his uniform as well, she said, "And your's as well, Prince Keith." She gave him a dazzling smile as she said, "I think we both were surprised."

Returning the smile, he said, "I would never have guessed that Matron would do something like this." His tone grew serious as his smile relaxed, "But then, maybe she can finally see that love is more important than duty."

Allura licked her lips as her mouth became dry. Staring into the dark pools of his eyes, she felt lost and found at the same time.

The rest of the dance was completed in silence by the couple. Murmurs ran through the crowd as the striking couple twirled by. Was there a romance between the prince and the pilot? Many thought the idea romantic, but many young women who came with the hopes of winning Keith's heart were irritated. The night was young though and anything could happen….

As the dance ended, Keith raised Allura's hand for a kiss. His eyes kept contact with hers as his lips touched the fabric of the glove. "Thank you for the dance, Allura."

Allura nodded and gently withdrew her hand which felt like it had been burned through the glove. She rested the urge to take off the glove and look for burn marks. But it was no matter, the feeling was there. He had chosen her for the first dance. Now she was absolutely sure didn't want to dance with anyone else… they couldn't compete with Keith.

The ballroom was still aglow with lights and music when Keith finally finished receiving the guests. He drew a deep breath of relief that that part of the night was over. It was a necessary part of the evening and while he didn't dislike doing it, it was time consuming. Coran walked up beside him as the last diplomat walked away.

"You know you need to dance, don't you?" Coran asked him gently.

Keith's eyes found Allura across the room. She was talking with one of the dignitaries and seemed to be making quite an impression on the man as he was smiling broadly. He resisted the urge to sigh as he replied with a monotone to Coran. "Yes. I know I need to dance with other women besides Allura."

"It's part of the burden you bear as the host of the event and as the most eligible bachelor here." A hint of laughter was in Coran's voice. He had seen the numerous looks that Keith had garnered from the women at the ball. More than one would be happy to be in his arms for a dance… or more. The prince shot him a withering look that did nothing more than make Coran release his laughter into a vocal form. Giving Keith a gentle nudge, he said, "Go on."

This time Keith did sigh as he made his way over to a pleasant looking young woman who had been rather witty during her brief conversation in the line. He knew he'd have to dance with a few of the women who had been flirtatious earlier, but he'd wait a few dances before any of them. Perhaps that would help them get the message.

Allura's smile was fake as she spoke to yet another planetary head who wanted to nothing more that brag about himself. The fakeness of her smile had nothing to do with the dignitary and everything to do with watching Keith dance with young lady after young lady. Most of the time he was smiling and she had seen him actually laugh on occasion. She knew he had to do it, but it didn't make it any easier for her to stand on the sidelines and watch.

"Would you like to dance?" a voice asked her.

The dignitary must have moved off, hopefully he hadn't noticed her distraction when he left. She was going to decline the dance until she saw that it was Lance who had asked. She gave him a wan smile and then took his hand. There was nothing but friendship in their dance and for that reason she had no qualms about dancing with him.

As Lance let her out on the dance floor, he jokingly said, "I'd have to relieve you from security duty, Lieutenant, if your distraction wasn't also the person we're protecting." He smiled down at her.

Her eyes were drawn to Keith even though she was dancing with one of the most handsome men in the room. "They're all so lovely."

"They are, but so are you. I have to use the word even though I hate it, but it's his duty to dance with the women in attendance. To not do so would be rude and that is something that Keith usually isn't."

Sighing, she returned her attention to Lance. "Do you think he'll ask me for the supper dance?"

"Do you have any doubt?" Then he frowned, "Well, obviously you do if you're asking. Dancing one or two dances with any of these girls isn't going to change his feelings for you. But yes, I do believe he will ask you for the supper dance." The supper dance was the most important of the evening… except for the last dance. Whoever danced the supper dance with the prince would also be his dinner partner at the meal to follow the dance. Having both the dance and the meal with the prince would send a message to everyone about whom he was interested in.

At the end of the dance, Lance walked Allura back to her station and moved back to patrol the room. Allura watched as Keith led yet another young lady back onto the floor. Sighing, she returned to the task of monitoring the guests in her section of the room.

A short while later, the supper dance was announced and Allura scanned the room to find Keith. He was almost in the middle of the ballroom when the announcement was made. He excused himself from his last dance partner and turned with purpose in her direction. A smile began to form on her face as she realized he really was going to ask her.

Keith stopped in front of Allura and gave her a dazzling smile. "I hope you didn't doubt me," he whispered. Seeing her blush, he knew that she had. However, he wasn't angry. If he had seen her dancing with multiple men laughing and smiling, he might have had doubts himself. Still smiling he said, "May I have the supper dance with you, Allura?"

"Of course," she whispered as he once again took her black gloved hand in his white gloved one and pulled her onto the floor. The dance was just as exhilarating as it was before. They didn't speak but only gazed at each other as they held each other in the hold of the dance. When the song nearing its end, Keith stopped them near a balcony door where Lance happened to be. She doubted that it was a coincidence.

The doors to the balcony were open to let in fresh air to the slightly stuffy ballroom. As Keith led her onto the balcony, Lance closed the doors and stationed himself in front of them. They would not be interrupted.

Taking both of her hands in his, Keith drew a deep breath. This was it. This was the moment he had been both anticipating and dreading since he had woken from that sleeping spell of Haggar's. She loved him. He was sure of that. But did she love him enough to stay on Arus and give up much of her former life? Looking into her eyes he began.

"Allura, you've had time to think about the question I asked you at the precipice. I'm asking you again, will you marry me, Allura Altaire?" Keith's voice was sure and steady unlike the way his stomach felt and the way his heart was beating.

"For the last two weeks I have done little but think about that question and what I said to you at the precipice." She saw a shadow cross his face. Perhaps he was reliving the words that she had said. "You are a knight in the shining armor of a robot Lion. You are a Prince that puts fairy tales to shame. You are a man who brings to life every woman's inner dreams. I love you, Keith Kogane, Crown Prince of Arus. Yes. Yes, I will marry you."

Allura expected Keith to pull her into a crushing embrace and she was honestly looking forward to it. It had seemed like a long time since their first kiss and she wanted more. But he didn't. Instead, he let out a deep breath and said, "Then I need to tell you the reason we need to marry sooner rather than later."

In the haze of the fantasy that was the Arusian ball, she had forgotten about her question to him regarding the need to marry now. However, it seemed that it had been on Keith's mind and before he would do anything else, he would answer that question.

Keeping her hands tightly in his, he said, "Do you remember when I spoke to Coreen on Pollux?" Seeing her nod, he continued, "She knew of my magic's instability. She told me that I needed to find my soul mate and join with her. It was the only way to stabilize my magic."

"Join?" Allura asked in confusion.

"Yes. Not just physically or in a marriage. It has to be a joining of emotions as well as bodies." He flushed a little as he continued, "She could see somehow through her magic that we had feelings for each other. She asked why we were not already joined and I pointed out the things we have already talked about- our age, your career, my duty. She helped me see that I would be doing Arus no favors to marry anyone other than you. You _are_ my soul mate."

Allura's eyes grew wide, "Why didn't you tell me sooner? I'd have already said yes. There's no way that I would let your magic go out of control if I could help you."

Finally smiling at her, he said, "That's why I couldn't tell you. You had to agree to marry me because you love me, not because you were worried I'd turn into a dark mage. We both needed to go into the marriage without doubts about if the other person loved them." His voice turned to a whisper, "I'd die for you, Allura."

She looked into the deep dark pools of his eyes and saw the truth there. It was there when she had confronted him about being on the security detail. He truly loved her that much. "I have no doubts about my love for you or you for me." Finally smiling herself, she said, "But a kiss would seal the deal so to speak."

"Your wish…" he began as he leaned forward to kiss her. He didn't worry about anything as he kissed her. All his longing was released as his lips slanted hungrily across hers and her mouth opened beneath his; he knew that she was as hungry for this as he was.

They broke apart at the quiet knock at the door. A moment later, Lance opened the door and smiled at them. "Well?"

Keith took Allura's hand and then looked to Lance. "Congratulate us, we're engaged."

"About time, guys!" Lance walked out to give Keith a hug and Allura a kiss on the cheek. "Well, I'll be happy to help console all the beautiful broken-hearted young ladies."

Allura slapped him on the arm. "Incorrigible."

"Incorrigible, but still eligible, unlike Keith," Lance said as he re-entered the ball room where everyone was heading into the dining area.

Allura reached up to caress Keith's face. "Definitely ineligible," she whispered with a smile. Together they walked back into the ballroom.

Do fairy tales actually happen? For a royal prince bound by duty and a commoner space pilot, a fairy tale ending did happen this night. But it is only the beginning of their story, not the end. Now the question will be- can they find their own version of happily ever when the forces of Doom still lurk in the shadows?

Yellow eyes of a blue cat gleamed for a moment in the shrubs at the edge of the balcony and then they were gone…


End file.
